One Question Could Reveal Hidden Narcissism, Study

Narcissists can be identified with one simple question, according to new research.

Just asking how narcissistic people feel about themselves is good enough when it comes to revealing their true nature.

The latest study, which involved 11 experiments with more than 2,200 people of all ages, revealed that egotistical people could be identified by asking them to score the extent they agree with the statement: " I am a narcissist".

In the study, participants could rate themselves on a scale of 1 (not very true of me) to 7 (very true of me).

The study revealed that answers to this question significantly correlated with several other validated measures of narcissism. Other measures of narcissism include the Narcissistic Personality Inventory.

"People who are willing to admit they are more narcissistic than others probably actually are more narcissistic," co-researcher Brad Bushman, a professor of communication and psychology at The Ohio State University, said in a news release.

"People who are narcissists are almost proud of the fact. You can ask them directly because they don't see narcissism as a negative quality - they believe they are superior to other people and are fine with saying that publicly," Bushman added.

Researchers said that latest findings are important because the influence of narcissism often influence society by extending beyond individual's lives.

"For example, narcissistic people have low empathy, and empathy is one key motivator of philanthropic behavior such as donating money or time to organizations," Konrath said.

"Overall, narcissism is problematic for both individuals and society. Those who think they are already great don't try to improve themselves," Bushman said. "And narcissism is bad for society because people who are only thinking of themselves and their own interests are less helpful to others."

The findings are published in the journal PLOS ONE.

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