Nov 4, 2025 12:42 AM
https://www.psypost.org/the-psychology-o...pe-of-envy
EXCERPTS: A new study reveals a psychological pathway that connects narcissistic personality traits with the tendency to engage in social media trolling. The research suggests this link is partially explained by a person’s feelings of malicious envy and their exposure to antisocial media content. The findings were published in the journal Behaviour & Information Technology.
[...] Previous research has shown mixed results on the connection between narcissism and trolling, but recent studies have more consistently found a link. The Marshall University team wanted to build on this work by examining potential intermediary factors. They focused on two distinct types of envy.
[...] Their analysis showed that people with higher narcissism scores also reported higher levels of malicious envy. In turn, higher levels of malicious envy were associated with more frequent trolling. This suggests that for some people with narcissistic traits, seeing others succeed online can trigger a hostile envy that leads them to lash out through trolling. Benign envy, on the other hand, was not significantly connected to either narcissism or trolling in this study.
The study also identified a more complex, multi-step pathway. Narcissism was linked to higher malicious envy, which was then linked to a greater frequency of consuming antisocial media content. This increased exposure to antisocial media was, in turn, associated with a higher likelihood of trolling. In this model, narcissistic tendencies can foster a malicious envy that makes content depicting aggression and social defiance more appealing, and consuming this content may normalize or encourage trolling behavior.
[...] Interestingly, even when these indirect pathways through malicious envy and media consumption were accounted for, a direct link between narcissism and trolling remained. This indicates that these intermediary factors are part of the story, but not the whole explanation. Other aspects of narcissism, such as a need for attention or a desire to feel superior by provoking others, may also directly contribute to trolling. The study also noted that individuals with lower levels of the personality trait agreeableness showed patterns similar to those with high narcissism.
The researchers acknowledge several limitations to their work... (MORE - missing details)
EXCERPTS: A new study reveals a psychological pathway that connects narcissistic personality traits with the tendency to engage in social media trolling. The research suggests this link is partially explained by a person’s feelings of malicious envy and their exposure to antisocial media content. The findings were published in the journal Behaviour & Information Technology.
[...] Previous research has shown mixed results on the connection between narcissism and trolling, but recent studies have more consistently found a link. The Marshall University team wanted to build on this work by examining potential intermediary factors. They focused on two distinct types of envy.
[...] Their analysis showed that people with higher narcissism scores also reported higher levels of malicious envy. In turn, higher levels of malicious envy were associated with more frequent trolling. This suggests that for some people with narcissistic traits, seeing others succeed online can trigger a hostile envy that leads them to lash out through trolling. Benign envy, on the other hand, was not significantly connected to either narcissism or trolling in this study.
The study also identified a more complex, multi-step pathway. Narcissism was linked to higher malicious envy, which was then linked to a greater frequency of consuming antisocial media content. This increased exposure to antisocial media was, in turn, associated with a higher likelihood of trolling. In this model, narcissistic tendencies can foster a malicious envy that makes content depicting aggression and social defiance more appealing, and consuming this content may normalize or encourage trolling behavior.
[...] Interestingly, even when these indirect pathways through malicious envy and media consumption were accounted for, a direct link between narcissism and trolling remained. This indicates that these intermediary factors are part of the story, but not the whole explanation. Other aspects of narcissism, such as a need for attention or a desire to feel superior by provoking others, may also directly contribute to trolling. The study also noted that individuals with lower levels of the personality trait agreeableness showed patterns similar to those with high narcissism.
The researchers acknowledge several limitations to their work... (MORE - missing details)