Agentic and Communal Collective Narcissism: Their Differential Impact on Foreign Policy Preferences

As a personality trait, collective narcissism refers to unrealistic beliefs about ingroup exceptionality. Previous literature has primarily focused on the link between agentic collective narcissism and foreign policy preferences, while largely neglecting the role of communal collective narcissism. Building on the theoretical distinction between agentic and communal collective narcissism, this study is the first to clarify their distinct associations with three forms of foreign policy preferences: offensive realism, defensive realism, and liberalism. We recruited 698 Chinese participants aged 18 to 70 years ( M = 38.61, SD = 13.06) for this study. The results indicate that agentic collective narcissism is positively associated with a preference for offensive realism in foreign policy, while communal collective narcissism is positively associated with a preference for liberalism. Additionally, both agentic and communal collective narcissism are positively related to a preference for defensive realism. In addition to its theoretical contribution, the empirical case of China offers valuable insights into the study of collective narcissism in non-Western contexts and helps explain popular support for China’s “wolf warrior diplomacy”.