The relationship between collective narcissism and group-based moral exclusion: The mediating role of intergroup threat and social distance

Abstract

In our study, we investigated the relationship between collective narcissism and group-based moral exclusion. Since collective narcissists are motivated to see their group as unique and superior, and tend to show hostility towards outgroups threatening this presumed superiority, we hypothesized that perceived intergroup threat and social distance can mediate the relationship between collective narcissism and group-based moral exclusion. We tested this assumption in two intergroup contexts by investigating the beliefs of members of the Hungarian majority population about Muslim immigrants and Roma people. Our results showed that collective narcissism had a positive indirect effect on group-based moral exclusion in the case of both outgroups. Furthermore, both threat and social distance were significant mediators in the case of Muslim immigrants, but mostly social distance mediated the indirect effect of collective narcissism on moral exclusion of the Roma. These results indicate that collective narcissists tend to rationalize their intergroup hostility by the mechanism of motivated moral exclusion, and to find suitable justifications for doing so.

Can ingroup love harm the ingroup? Collective narcissism and objectification of ingroup members

“…This finding extends previous theorizing and research which showed that collective narcissism was associated with negative attitudes toward members of lower status groups within the group. For example, past research showed that national narcissism is related to prejudice towards lower status members of the national group, such as women or sexual and ethnic minorities, who might be seen as less representative of the overarching ingroup (Golec de Zavala & Bierwiaczonek, 2020;Golec de Zavala, Cichocka, & Bilewicz, 2013;Górska & Mikołajczak, 2015; see also Hadarics et al, 2020).…”

“Not Racist, But…”: Beliefs About Immigration Restrictions, Collective Narcissism, and Justification of Ethnic Extremism

“…Those who are high in collective narcissism also tend to respond with hostility to any stings of criticism or lack of appreciation of the ingroup (Golec de Zavala, Cichocka, & Iskra-Golec, 2013;Gries et al, 2015) and are prejudiced towards groups they find threatening (e.g., Bertin et al, 2022;Golec de Zavala, Cichocka, & Bilewicz, 2013;Lyons et al, 2010;Marchlewska et al, 2019). Crucially, collective narcissism has been linked to perceptions of threats from immigrants (e.g., Hadarics et al, 2020;Lyons et al, 2010) and generally negative attitudes towards immigration (Marchlewska et al, 2018).…”

Approche intergroupe des croyances conspirationnistes : une stratégie de gestion de l’identité sociale ? Conceptualisation, déterminants et conséquences

“…with generally negative outgroup attitudes (for a review, see Golec de Zavala et al, 2019). For example, perceived intergroup threat mediated the relationship between Hungarian national narcissism and moral exclusion of Roma and Muslim immigrants (Hadarics et al, 2020).…”

“…Of importance, defensive group beliefs displayed by national narcissists and leading to prejudice against immigrants might not only be explained by perceiving intergroup threat. Indeed, Hadarics et al (2020) suggested that "blaming outgroups may not just increase salience of in-groups but also mobilize collective action against the out-group" (p. 120). That is, for prejudice (e.g., collective action) to occur, perceived intergroup threat may take the form of blaming outgroups, encompassing sentiments that are typical of conspiracy theories.…”