Longitudinal study reveals childhood family dynamics predict distinct narcissism traits in Mexican-origin youth, indicating family effects operate primarily via adolescent narcissism.
= 674) spanning from age 10 to 26. Using structural equation modeling of multimethod data (child report, parent and spouse report, and coded parent-child interactions), we found that grandiosity and superiority were significantly predicted by positive aspects of the family environment (e.g., parental warmth, parent-child relationship quality, parental relationship quality), whereas exploitativeness and vulnerability were significantly predicted by negative aspects of the family environment (e.g., parental hostility, parent-child conflict). These findings were much weaker and often nonsignificant after controlling for earlier levels of narcissism, suggesting that the family environment exerts its effect on adult narcissism via its concurrent effect on adolescent narcissism. Overall, our study highlights several underexplored family factors in childhood that contribute to the development and maintenance of narcissism in adulthood. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
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