Men are 'more narcissistic and entitled than women'

In January, we reported on a study by researchers at Ohio State University who found that men who regularly post pictures of themselves on social media score higher on measures of narcissism and psychopathy than their peers. In particular, men who edited their selfies before posting were found to be the most narcissistic.
However, that study - published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences - did not compare data for men against data for women.
For the new study, which is published in the journal Psychological Bulletin, researchers from the University at Buffalo School of Management, NY, analyzed the gender differences in narcissism across more than 300 "journal articles, dissertations, manuscripts and technical manuals." Overall, the study took in 30 years of research and more than 475,000 participants.
In particular, the researchers focused on three aspects of narcissism:

• Leadership/authority
• Grandiose/exhibitionism
• Entitlement.

The widest gender gap in the study was in entitlement, the authors report. They say this suggests that men are more likely than women to exploit others and that they feel a greater entitlement to certain privileges.
The second largest gender gap was in leadership/authority, which led the researchers to note that men "exhibit more assertiveness and desire for power" compared with women.
However, there was no significant gender difference in regards to exhibitionism, which suggests that men and women are likely to be equally as vain or self-absorbed.
Looking at data from college students for the period 1990-2013, the team reports it found no evidence of either gender becoming more or less narcissistic over time.

How is narcissism linked with gender stereotypes?

Previous research has found that personality differences such as narcissism are related to gender stereotypes and expectations.
For instance, lead author Emily Grijalva, PhD, assistant professor of organization and human resources, notes the lack of women in senior roles of leadership could be influenced by disparities in perceptions of femininity and leadership.
"Individuals tend to observe and learn gender roles from a young age, and may face backlash for deviating from society's expectations," she suggests. "In particular, women often receive harsh criticism for being aggressive or authoritative, which creates pressure for women, more so than for men, to suppress displays of narcissistic behavior."