Narcissists feel ostracized more frequently than their less self-absorbed peers, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. This may stem not only from being shunned due to their personalities but from a tendency to misinterpret ambiguous social signals as exclusion.
"Feeling ostracized is a subjective experience based on the perception of social cues by the individual. Some may be intentionally ostracized, while others may merely believe they are being excluded when that's not the case," said lead author Christiane Büttner, PhD, of the University of Basel. "Our findings suggest that individuals with higher levels of narcissism are more sensitive to exclusion cues, leading them to perceive ostracism more frequently."
The research was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
While narcissism can take various forms, the researchers chose to focus exclusively on grandiose narcissism, which includes traits such as entitlement, dominance, a strong desire for admiration and a tendency to seek status and recognition.
The research team first analyzed data from the German Socio-Economic Panel, a long-term, nationally representative survey of approximately 22,000 households in Germany. Focusing on 1,592 individuals who answered questions about narcissism and ostracism in 2015, the study found that people with higher narcissism levels reported experiencing significantly more ostracism.
To confirm these findings, the researchers conducted a two-week study with 323 participants. These individuals completed narcissism assessments and reported past feelings of ostracism. For the next 14 days, they logged moments when they felt excluded or neglected using a mobile app.
"Participants with higher narcissism scores reported feeling excluded more frequently in daily life, aligning with our earlier survey results," Büttner noted.
A series of experiments involving over 2,500 participants further explored the link between narcissism and feeling excluded. In one experiment, participants joined a virtual ball-tossing game where two other players either included or excluded them. Another experiment presented hypothetical social scenarios and asked participants to assess how excluded they felt.
The results showed that narcissistic individuals were more likely to perceive ambiguous social interactions, where ostracism is not explicitly made clear, as exclusionary. Further reinforcing this perception of social exclusion, additional experiments revealed that people often prefer to avoid highly narcissistic individuals.
Interestingly, the researchers also found evidence that the relationship between narcissism and social exclusion works both ways.
"Narcissism may contribute to social exclusion, but ostracism itself can also fuel the development of narcissistic traits," Büttner explained.
Analyzing 14 years of data from a national survey in New Zealand involving over 72,000 participants, researchers observed that changes in feelings of exclusion were followed by changes in narcissism levels a year later—and vice versa.
These findings highlight the complex interplay between personality traits and social experiences, according to Büttner. Understanding this relationship can help better address workplace conflicts, social isolation and even broader societal issues.
"If people with high narcissistic traits are more likely to feel and be excluded, this could contribute to escalating tensions in workplaces or social groups. At the same time, their heightened sensitivity to exclusion might make them more likely to react aggressively," she said. "These findings suggest that interventions aimed at improving interpersonal relationships and reducing social friction should consider both the perceptions and behaviors of the individuals involved."
Article: " Narcissists Experience of Ostracism ," by Christiane Büttner, PhD, Elianne Albath, PhD, and Rainer Greifeneder, PhD, University of Basel; Selma Rudert, PhD, University of Kaiserslautern-Landau; and Chris Sibley, PhD, University of Auckland. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, published online Feb. 20, 2025.
