Article Version of Record

Communal narcissism and sadism as predictors of everyday vigilantism

Author(s) / Creator(s)

Chen, Fan Xuan
Ok, Ekin
Aquino, Karl

Abstract / Description

Vigilantes monitor their social environment for signs of wrongdoing and administer unauthorized punishment on those who they perceive to be violating laws, social norms, or moral standards. We investigated whether the willingness to become a vigilante can be predicted by grandiose self-perceptions about one’s communality (communal narcissism) and enjoyment of cruelty (sadism). As hypothesized, findings demonstrated both variables to be positively related to becoming a vigilante as measured by reports of past and anticipated vigilante behavior (Study 1) and by dispositional tendencies toward vigilantism (Studies 1 and 2). We also found communal narcissism and sadism predicted the perceived effectiveness of vigilante actions exhibited by others (Study 2) and the intention to engage in vigilantism after witnessing a norm violation (Study 3). Finally, Study 3 also demonstrated that the tendency for communal narcissists and sadists to become a vigilante might vary based on the expected consequences of the observed norm violation.

Keyword(s)

punishment vigilantism communal narcissism, sadism, morality

Persistent Identifier

Date of first publication

2023-10-27

Journal title

Personality Science

Volume

4

Article number

Article e10523

Publisher

PsychOpen GOLD

Publication status

publishedVersion

Review status

peerReviewed

Is version of

Citation

Chen, F. X., Ok, E., & Aquino, K. (2023). Communal narcissism and sadism as predictors of everyday vigilantism. Personality Science, 4, Article e10523. https://doi.org/10.5964/ps.10523
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Chen, Fan Xuan
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Ok, Ekin
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Aquino, Karl
  • PsychArchives acquisition timestamp
    2024-03-19T11:02:03Z
  • Made available on
    2024-03-19T11:02:03Z
  • Date of first publication
    2023-10-27
  • Abstract / Description
    Vigilantes monitor their social environment for signs of wrongdoing and administer unauthorized punishment on those who they perceive to be violating laws, social norms, or moral standards. We investigated whether the willingness to become a vigilante can be predicted by grandiose self-perceptions about one’s communality (communal narcissism) and enjoyment of cruelty (sadism). As hypothesized, findings demonstrated both variables to be positively related to becoming a vigilante as measured by reports of past and anticipated vigilante behavior (Study 1) and by dispositional tendencies toward vigilantism (Studies 1 and 2). We also found communal narcissism and sadism predicted the perceived effectiveness of vigilante actions exhibited by others (Study 2) and the intention to engage in vigilantism after witnessing a norm violation (Study 3). Finally, Study 3 also demonstrated that the tendency for communal narcissists and sadists to become a vigilante might vary based on the expected consequences of the observed norm violation.
    en_US
  • Publication status
    publishedVersion
  • Review status
    peerReviewed
  • Citation
    Chen, F. X., Ok, E., & Aquino, K. (2023). Communal narcissism and sadism as predictors of everyday vigilantism. Personality Science, 4, Article e10523. https://doi.org/10.5964/ps.10523
    en_US
  • ISSN
    2700-0710
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/9791
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.14332
  • Language of content
    eng
  • Publisher
    PsychOpen GOLD
  • Is version of
    https://doi.org/10.5964/ps.10523
  • Is related to
    https://osf.io/gu86y
  • Is related to
    https://aspredicted.org/6df8c.pdf
  • Is related to
    https://aspredicted.org/kc5qz.pdf
  • Is related to
    https://aspredicted.org/6jf36.pdf
  • Keyword(s)
    punishment
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    vigilantism
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    communal narcissism, sadism, morality
    en_US
  • Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)
    150
  • Title
    Communal narcissism and sadism as predictors of everyday vigilantism
    en_US
  • DRO type
    article
  • Article number
    Article e10523
  • Journal title
    Personality Science
  • Volume
    4
  • Visible tag(s)
    Version of Record
    en_US