This document examines the correlation between political activism on social media and narcissism. It defines narcissism and how social networking sites can enable narcissistic traits like attention-seeking and controlling one's image. A survey found that 14% of those politically active on social media displayed narcissistic tendencies, compared to 6.2% of the general population. The document thus concludes that individuals who use social media for political purposes are more likely to exhibit narcissistic behaviors than others.

1. Profiling Politics: How
Political Activism on
Social Media May
Correlate with Narcissism
Gordon Gearhart

2. Purpose
 Examine whether there was an underlying
behavioral cause for an individual with narcissistic
tendencies to engage in online political
participation more than others.

3. Narcissism
 Definition
 Characteristics
 Social contact as primary source of
attention and admiration
 Utilize external sources for affirmation
 Negative association with long-term
relationships
 Grandiose sense of self-importance or
uniqueness
 How do social networking sites impact
narcissism?
 Ability to have superficial friendships
and maintain a large number of
relationships
 Maintain complete control over self-
presentation
 Related to quantity of posts and content
generation

4. Online Political Participation
 Selective Exposure
 Social Capital
 Citizen-Users
 Digital Divide
 Results in political
apathy or cynicism

5. Facebook v Twitter
• Limited
Characters
• Proactive
• Focus on
sharing
opinion
and
information
• Allows for
real time
information
• Aggregate
and distill
topics with
hashtags
• Promotes
“weak ties”
• Allows for
following
contacts
• More
detailed
messages
• Reactive
• Focus on
reciprocal
interaction

6. Methodology
 Sent a survey through Qualtrics through social
media (Facebook and Twitter) with 65
respondents
 Asked questions regarding offline and online
political participation
 Utilized the NPI-16 narcissism test (Ames, Rose
& Anderson 2006)
 Ran Frequency tests on survey results
 Compared answers of those politically active on
social media with likelihood of demonstrating
narcissism.

7. Data
Displayed
narcissistic tendency
Did NOT display
narcissitic tendency Total Percent YES
Percent
NO
Really like Center of attention 4 11 15 27% 73%
I think I am a special person 2 37 39 5% 95%
People like to hear my stories 1 7 8 13% 88%
I deserve respect 4 41 45 9% 91%
I like having authority 2 6 8 25% 75%
I'm Going to be great 4 27 31 13% 87%
Make anybody believe me 4 13 17 24% 76%
I expect great deal fom others 0 3 3 0% 100%
I like center of attention 2 11 13 15% 85%
I am an extraordinary person 4 22 26 15% 85%
I always know what am doing 4 16 20 20% 80%
Easy to manipulate ppl 3 10 13 23% 77%
Ppl recognize authority 3 15 18 17% 83%
Ppl tell me I'm good 1 10 11 9% 91%
Apt to show off 0 4 4 0% 100%
I am more capable than others 2 14 16 13% 88%
Total 40 247 287 14% 86%

8. Analysis
 6.2% of Americans have Narcissistic Personality
Disorder (Stinson et al. 2008)
 According to the survey, 14% politically active
SNS users showed some tendency for narcissism
 Individuals who utilize social media for political
means are more likely to exhibit some narcissistic
tendencies

9. Acknowledgements

10. Citations
 STINSON, Frederick S. [b1] (analytic), et al.
"Prevalence, Correlates, Disability, And
Comorbidity Of DSM-IV Narcissistic Personality
Disorder: Results From The Wave 2 National
Epidemiologic Survey On Alcohol And Related
Conditions (English)." The Journal Of Clinical
Psychiatry 69.7 (0001): FRANCIS. Web. 15 Apr.
2015