Disentangling the Paranoid Dance: A Network Approach to Narcissist States and Daily Interpersonal Dynamics

Recent empirical literature has suggested that pathological narcissism is related to paranoid presentations. However, the existing studies have focused only on cross-sectional methodology without investigating how paranoid tendencies may present in narcissists’ daily lives. On the other hand, the network approach has recently emerged in psychopathology, proposing that psychopathology may be conceptualized as complex and dynamic network systems where symptoms are mutually interacting components over time. Building on these premises, the current study aimed to explore the dynamic associations between narcissistic states, paranoid states, and perception of the other using an Ecological Momentary Assessment methodology (EMA). A sample of 109 participants (females: N = 90; 82.6%) with a mean age of 23.9 years old (age range = 18 – 35, SD = ± 3.24) responded to smartphone prompts4 times a day for 7 days. Participants were required to identify the most significant distressing interpersonal interaction and then assess their current paranoid states, narcissistic grandiose and vulnerable states, and momentary agentic/communal perceptions of the other person. Using multilevel vector autoregressive modeling (mlVAR), we examined different time-frame complementary network models (i.e., contemporaneous, crosslagged, and between-subject models). The contemporaneous model indicated that state vulnerability and grandiosity were related to higher paranoid states simultaneously. Moreover, state vulnerability was related to a perception of the other as colder and more submissive, which, in turn, was positively related to paranoid states. According to the cross-lagged model, state vulnerability predicted higher state paranoia toward the other at the next prompt, whereas state paranoia predicted subsequently grandiose states. Surprisingly, the between-subject model showed that individuals experiencing higher grandiose and vulnerable states experienced, on average, more paranoia during the 7 days. Interestingly, perceptions of others did not directly influence the levels of paranoia experienced. Our findings emphasize the relevance of considering the complex interplay between narcissistic states and paranoid states in daily interpersonal situations, supporting a network perspective across different time scales, which may be informative for future clinical interventions.