Adaptive and maladaptive narcissism: Different roots and different routes to empathy

Abstract

We studied the links between the two types of narcissism (adaptive, maladaptive) and three distinct forms of empathy (cognitive empathy, emotional contagion, emotional disconnection) via mindfulness, and the origins of the two kinds of narcissism through delayed gratification. Our participants were 300 university students aged 20‐27 years from various regions of India. The results of structural equation modeling confirmed that delayed gratification was positively related to adaptive narcissism but negatively related to maladaptive narcissism. In addition, mindfulness acted as a mediator between adaptive narcissism and the three types of empathy, while adaptive narcissism and mindfulness mediated the relationships between delayed gratification and all three factors of empathy. We concluded that adaptive narcissists can feel empathy if they have high trait mindfulness. Future research could explore whether delaying gratification leads to the development of adaptive or maladaptive narcissistic traits.