A new 10-day diary study tracked how narcissistic traits shape daily behavior on social media.

Data shows narcissistic admiration links to positive posts and an expectation of favorable outcomes.

Researchers found narcissistic rivalry tracks with negative posts and low expectations.

Social media gives us the opportunity to communicate with a wide range of people and to curate how we appear to others. This makes it an especially appealing tool for those high in grandiose narcissism. Narcissists crave attention and admiration from others, so a platform that allows them to selectively present themselves in a positive manner (e.g., selecting only the most flattering photos to post), reach a large audience, and receive immediate feedback in the form of likes or comments provides the perfect opportunity to have their egos stroked. Social media is also a good fit for narcissists' social needs. Narcissists tend to prefer social networks that are broad and shallow, rather than interacting with a small pool of people in a more personal and intimate manner. They also tend to be better at first impressions than sustained relationships.

Not surprisingly, many prior studies show that narcissists have more social media friends and followers and are more active social media users. However, this research hasn't really examined how narcissists use social media on a day-to-day basis to enhance their relationships. Do they find that their social media activities are meeting their social needs? A new study by Carmen Șurariu and colleagues just published in the Journal of Research in Personality examined how narcissism relates to daily posting behavior and the social rewards of that........

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