TY - JOUR
T1 - Party people
T2 - Differentiating the associations of partisan identification and partisan narcissism with political skill, integrity, and party dedication
AU - Gronfeldt, Bjarki
AU - Cislak, Aleksandra
AU - Wyatt, Madeleine
AU - Cichocka, Aleksandra
N1 - Funding Information:
Cichocka and Cislak were supported by grant number 2018/29/B/HS6/02826. Gronfeldt is a member of the party from which the sample was recruited.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Applied Social Psychology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
PY - 2023/12/6
Y1 - 2023/12/6
N2 - We investigated outcomes associated with different types of partisan identity in a sample of political candidates for parliament and local offices (N = 214). We distinguished partisan narcissism, a belief in the greatness of one's political party that is not appreciated by others, from partisan identification, feeling part of the party and evaluating it positively. We examined their links with self-reported measures of politicians' functioning in their work: political skill, integrity, and party dedication. Partisan narcissism was associated with lower integrity in one's political role, meaning those high in partisan narcissism reported more inclination to engage in secrecy, deception, and political blood-sport (behavior also known as politicking). Partisan narcissism did not predict party dedication: it was not associated with intentions to leave the party and volunteering in party activities, and in fact, it was linked to past membership in other political parties. Meanwhile, we found that partisan identification was associated with higher levels of political skill, while also predicting party dedication in that it predicted lower intentions to leave the party and volunteering in party activities but was unrelated to membership in other parties in the past. Cumulatively, these results suggest that partisan identification is associated with competence and dedication in politicians' work. Conversely, partisan narcissism seems to contribute to being cunning in the political arena and relates to more devious work habits that many find stereotypical of politicians.
AB - We investigated outcomes associated with different types of partisan identity in a sample of political candidates for parliament and local offices (N = 214). We distinguished partisan narcissism, a belief in the greatness of one's political party that is not appreciated by others, from partisan identification, feeling part of the party and evaluating it positively. We examined their links with self-reported measures of politicians' functioning in their work: political skill, integrity, and party dedication. Partisan narcissism was associated with lower integrity in one's political role, meaning those high in partisan narcissism reported more inclination to engage in secrecy, deception, and political blood-sport (behavior also known as politicking). Partisan narcissism did not predict party dedication: it was not associated with intentions to leave the party and volunteering in party activities, and in fact, it was linked to past membership in other political parties. Meanwhile, we found that partisan identification was associated with higher levels of political skill, while also predicting party dedication in that it predicted lower intentions to leave the party and volunteering in party activities but was unrelated to membership in other parties in the past. Cumulatively, these results suggest that partisan identification is associated with competence and dedication in politicians' work. Conversely, partisan narcissism seems to contribute to being cunning in the political arena and relates to more devious work habits that many find stereotypical of politicians.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85168386863&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/jasp.13009
DO - 10.1111/jasp.13009
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85168386863
SN - 0021-9029
VL - 53
SP - 1227
EP - 1239
JO - JOURNAL OF APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
JF - JOURNAL OF APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
IS - 12
ER -