Aggression Among Offenders: The Complex Interplay by Grandiose Narcissism, Spitefulness, and Impulsivity

Impulsivity seems closely related to both narcissism and spitefulness as a potential common pathway by which these patho- logical personality traits lead to violence. We administered the Aggression Questionnaire (AQ), the Pathological Narcissism Inventory, the Spitefulness Scale, and the Impulsive Behavior Scale Short Form to a sample of individuals convicted of violent offenses (n = 182) and a sample of community participants (n = 203). Hierarchical regression analysis of the convicted sample showed that spitefulness predicted AQ scores positively and significantly beyond the roles of both pathological narcis- sism and impulsivity. Finally, mediation analyses showed that impulsivity partially mediated the relationships between aggres- sion and both grandiose narcissism and spitefulness. Our results support the hypothesis that spitefulness plays an important role in the prediction of aggressiveness. Finally, impulsivity seems to be a central common variable that explains the relation- ship between pathological personality traits and aggressive behavior among individuals convicted of violent offenses.