📄 social_science

Women are Pretty and Big Boys Don’t Cry — Associations Between the Trifurcated Model of Narcissism and Sexism

This study of 1,102 participants reveals that men's antagonistic narcissism traits (specifically entitlement and arrogance) predict hostile sexism toward women, while agentic narcissism traits generally predict benevolent sexism toward one's own gender, whereas neurotic narcissism shows only weak inverse relationships with sexist attitudes.

Original authors: Sabrina Schneider, Sabrina Vanessa Gordt, Sandy Sue Spormann, Andreas Mokros

Published 2026-07-08

📖 5 min read🧠 Deep dive

CC BY 4.0

Original authors: Sabrina Schneider, Sabrina Vanessa Gordt, Sandy Sue Spormann, Andreas Mokros

Original paper licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ✨ This is an AI-generated explanation of the paper below. It is not written or endorsed by the authors. For technical accuracy, refer to the original paper. Read full disclaimer

The Big Picture: The "Selfie" vs. The "Mirror"

Imagine two different ways people see themselves in a mirror.

The "Superhero" Mirror (Narcissism): Some people look in the mirror and see a superhero who is better, stronger, and more important than everyone else. They believe the world revolves around them.
The "Judge" Mirror (Sexism): Some people look at others and immediately put them into boxes: "Women are weak and need saving," or "Men are emotional babies." This is sexism.

This study asked a simple question: Do the people who see themselves as "Superheroes" (narcissists) also tend to be the ones who put others in those "Judge" boxes (sexists)?

The researchers didn't just look at "narcissism" as one big blob. They used a special map called the Trifurcated Model (a fancy word for a three-part map) to break narcissism down into three specific flavors:

The "Villain" Core (Antagonism): Arrogance, entitlement, lack of empathy, and the belief that you can use people.
The "Show-Off" Side (Agentic Extraversion): Being charming, ambitious, and wanting to be the center of attention.
The "Sensitive" Side (Neuroticism): Being easily hurt, feeling ashamed, and fearing rejection.

They also looked at two types of sexism:

Hostile Sexism: The angry kind ("Women are manipulative," "Men are weak").
Benevolent Sexism: The "nice" kind that is actually patronizing ("Women are too precious to work," "Men are strong protectors who need to be respected").

The Main Findings: What the Data Said

1. The "Villain" Core is the Real Culprit

The study found that the strongest link to sexism comes from the "Villain" Core (Antagonism).

The Analogy: Think of this like a heavy anchor. If a person has a heavy anchor of arrogance and entitlement, they are much more likely to drag others down with sexist attitudes.
The Result: People high in this "Villain" trait were more likely to believe that women are manipulative or that men are emotionally incompetent.
The Gender Twist: This link was much stronger in men than in women.
- For Men: If a man has high arrogance and entitlement, he is very likely to be hostile toward women or believe modern society treats women too well.
- For Women: While women with these traits also showed some sexist attitudes, the connection wasn't as tight. Interestingly, for women, the "Villain" traits were more linked to being manipulative or reactive (getting angry when criticized) rather than just pure arrogance.

2. The "Show-Off" Side: A Double-Edged Sword

The "Show-Off" side (Agentic Extraversion) is the part of narcissism that makes people charming and ambitious.

The Result: This trait had a weird, mixed effect depending on who was looking and who they were looking at.
- In Men: Being a "Show-Off" made men more likely to hold "Benevolent" (patronizing) views of women. They might think, "I'm a strong leader, so I should protect these fragile women."
- In Women: Being a "Show-Off" actually made women less likely to be sexist against men. It acted like a shield. Confident, ambitious women were less likely to buy into the idea that men are weak or need protection.

3. The "Sensitive" Side: Not a Big Deal

The "Sensitive" side (Neuroticism) involves feeling easily hurt or judged.

The Result: This part of narcissism had almost no connection to sexism.
The Exception: There was a tiny, weak hint that women who are very sensitive to criticism might actually hold fewer sexist views. It's as if being worried about being judged makes you less likely to judge others harshly based on gender.

The "Big Boys Don't Cry" Connection

The title of the paper, "Women are Pretty and Big Boys Don't Cry," perfectly summarizes the findings:

"Women are Pretty" refers to Benevolent Sexism. The study found that men with "Show-Off" narcissistic traits are more likely to say things like, "Women are too delicate for the real world." They treat women like precious dolls that need to be kept on a shelf.
"Big Boys Don't Cry" refers to Hostile Sexism. The study found that men with "Villain" narcissistic traits (arrogance and entitlement) are more likely to say, "Men who show emotion are weak." They enforce strict rules about how men should behave, punishing anyone who doesn't fit the "tough guy" mold.

The Bottom Line

This study is like a detective report that found a strong connection between arrogance/entitlement and sexism, but with a major gender difference:

Men who feel entitled and superior are the biggest drivers of both the "angry" and the "patronizing" types of sexism.
Women who feel entitled are less connected to sexism, and when they do show sexist traits, it looks different (more about manipulation or reaction to criticism).
Confidence (the "Show-Off" trait) helps women avoid sexism but can make men more patronizing toward women.

The researchers conclude that we can't just say "Narcissists are sexist." We have to look at which part of the narcissist we are talking about and who they are, because the recipe for sexism looks very different for men and women.

Technical Summary: Associations Between the Trifurcated Model of Narcissism and Sexism

Problem Statement
Sexism remains a pervasive social problem with detrimental consequences ranging from hostile attitudes to physical violence. While prior research has identified general personality traits (e.g., low agreeableness) and dark personality profiles as risk factors for sexist attitudes, the specific mechanisms linking narcissism to sexism remain poorly understood. Existing literature has largely relied on global narcissism measures or focused on specific traits like entitlement, often neglecting the multidimensional nature of narcissism and the nuances of anti-male versus anti-female sexism. Furthermore, the relationship between narcissism and modern forms of sexism (e.g., denial of discrimination) and gender-specific patterns in these associations require systematic investigation. This study addresses the gap in understanding how different facets of narcissism, conceptualized through the Trifurcated Model of Narcissism (TriMN), predict various forms of ambivalent and modern sexism directed at both men and women.

Methodology
The study employed a cross-sectional online survey design with a final sample of 1,102 participants (305 men, 802 women) recruited from German-speaking populations. Participants were required to be at least 18 years old and identify as either male or female (congruent biological sex and gender identity).

Measures:
- Narcissism: Assessed using the German version of the Five-Factor Narcissism Inventory Short Form (FFNI-SF), which maps onto the TriMN dimensions: Agentic Extraversion, Narcissistic Antagonism, and Narcissistic Neuroticism. The instrument also provided scores for 15 specific facets.
- Sexism: Measured using four distinct scales:
  - Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (ASI): Assessing Hostile and Benevolent sexism toward women.
  - Ambivalence Toward Men Inventory (AMI): Assessing Hostile and Benevolent sexism toward men.
  - Modern Sexism Scale (MSS): Assessing denial of ongoing discrimination against women.
  - Belief in Sexism Shift (BSS) Scale: Assessing beliefs regarding a shift from anti-female to anti-male sexism.
- Control Variables: Social desirability was measured using the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding (BIDR-6).
Statistical Analysis:
- Observed Variable Level: Zero-order correlations and multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between TriMN dimensions and sexism, including gender interactions.
- Latent Variable Level: Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to estimate latent regressions between TriMN traits and latent sexism factors, utilizing item parceling. Separate models were run for men and women and for sexism directed at men versus women.
- Multivariate Analysis: Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) was performed to explore the complex, multivariate relationships between the eight TriMN antagonism facets and the various forms of ambivalent sexism.

Key Results

Antagonism as the Core Predictor: Narcissistic antagonism emerged as the strongest predictor of sexism. In the full sample, antagonism showed moderate correlations with all forms of anti-female and anti-male sexism ( $r = .22$ to $.39$).
Gender Differences in Antagonism:
- Men: Male antagonism was strongly linked to hostile and modern sexism toward women, as well as benevolent sexism toward men.
- Women: Female antagonism was primarily linked to hostile sexism toward men and benevolent sexism toward both genders. The association between female antagonism and anti-female sexism was significantly weaker than in men.
Facet-Level Findings (CCA):
- The first canonical function explained 27.4% of the shared variance between antagonism facets and sexism.
- Key Facets: Arrogance, entitlement, lack of empathy, and exploitativeness were the primary drivers of the antagonism-sexism link.
- Gender Specificity: In men, lack of empathy was a critical contributor to the link with sexism. In women, lack of empathy was not a significant contributor; instead, manipulation and reactive anger were more relevant.
Agentic Extraversion: This trait showed a complex relationship. In men, higher agentic extraversion predicted increased benevolent sexism toward women. In women, higher agentic extraversion was associated with reduced hostile sexism toward both men and women, suggesting a protective effect against hostile discrimination.
Neuroticism: Narcissistic neuroticism showed only weak and generally inverse relationships with sexism. Higher sensitivity to criticism and judgment predicted fewer sexist attitudes, particularly in women.

Significance and Contributions
The paper claims to be the first comprehensive scientific investigation systematically linking the multidimensional TriMN model to both anti-female and anti-male sexism, including modern forms.

Refining the Narcissism-Sexism Link: The study supports the hypothesis that antagonism is the core personality dimension underlying both narcissism and sexism. It clarifies that this link is not uniform; it varies significantly by gender and the target of the sexist attitude.
Gender-Specific Mechanisms: The research challenges "one-size-fits-all" explanations, demonstrating that the specific narcissistic facets driving sexism differ between men and women. For instance, while arrogance and entitlement are central for both, the role of empathy versus manipulation/reactive anger distinguishes the mechanisms in men and women.
Nuance in Agentic Traits: The findings suggest that agentic extraversion is not uniformly maladaptive regarding sexism; it may serve as a protective factor against hostile sexism in women while simultaneously promoting benevolent sexism in men.
Implications for Understanding Violence: Given the established links between narcissism, sexism, and violence, the identification of specific antagonistic facets (like entitlement and arrogance) provides a more granular understanding of the personality antecedents of gender-based discrimination.

The authors maintain modesty regarding their claims, noting limitations such as the WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic) cultural context, potential response biases despite controls, and the need for further research to test the robustness of the observed gender differences, particularly regarding neurotic narcissism. They conclude that future research must move beyond masculine stereotypes in narcissism to systematically examine gender differences in narcissistic presentation.