Peter J Conlon 

This study aimed to explore whether certain personality traits and constructs pose as significant predictors of the likability of communal narcissism in TikTok influencers. Using three TikTok videos featuring an actress and communally narcissistic statements, this study employed multiple linear regression analysis to assess whether higher scores of personality trait extraversion and self-reported communal narcissism posed as significant predictors of liking communal narcissism on TikTok, whilst controlling for gender and self-reported hours spent using social media. The research surveyed 116 participants predominantly between ages 18-27 years (60 males, 54 females, 2 responded other or preferred not to say) with 73 students, 42 non-students, and 94 of which have a working background. The communal narcissism inventory (Gebauer et al., 2012), and the Extraversion Scale (McCrae & Costa, 1992), were employed to measure the independent variables, and the likability of the TikTok influencer was measured using the Likability Scale (Reyson, S., 2005).

Project Findings

Three hypotheses were tested.
H1: Communal narcissism scores will predict higher scores of likability.
H2: Extraversion scores will predict higher scores of likability.
H3: There will be a significant relationship between high extraversion scores and high communal narcissism scores.
H4: Communal narcissism and extraversion will predict likability when controlling for gender and hours spent online.

The study contributed to knowledge in social/cyberpsychology. This study had also directed its research by focusing on instructions for future research and extensive gaps in past literature. The findings indicated that of the four hypotheses tested, self-reported communal narcissism was the only significant predictor of liking communal narcissism on TikTok, whereas extraversion, gender, and hours spent using social media did not. However, these findings do indicate consistency in previous literature in that the likability of communally narcissistic influencers among other self-reported communal narcissists and self-reported non-narcissists is consistent across social media platforms like TikTok. Further research is necessary to explore the intergenerational variation in users’ attitudes toward gender roles in agentic and communal narcissism in TikTok influencers. Qualitative analysis using a broader range of communally narcissistic statements could be carried out to explore whether personality traits agreeableness predict interpersonal likability of communal narcissism on social media. Despite not reaching statistical significance in three of the four hypotheses, valuable knowledge was attained. Conclusions could be drawn from the present study that communal narcissism is a personality trait that is not viewed favourably online among non-narcissists, regardless of age, gender, or frequency of social media use.