Story perspectives

Study Reveals Narcissism Shapes College Flirting Dynamics

2/8/2026

Summary

Story summary

The Journal of Social Psychology published a study on how narcissism levels shape college students’ perceptions and participation in flirtatious interactions with professors.
Students with high grandiose narcissism reported more frequent flirting and believed professors flirted back.
The study found that vulnerable narcissism leads to perceiving flirting as common among peers but not engaging in it themselves.
Limitations include self-reported data from a large southeastern United States university.

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Story summary

The Journal of Social Psychology published a study on how narcissism levels shape college students’ perceptions and participation in flirtatious interactions with professors.
Students with high grandiose narcissism reported more frequent flirting and believed professors flirted back.
The study found that vulnerable narcissism leads to perceiving flirting as common among peers but not engaging in it themselves.
Limitations include self-reported data from a large southeastern United States university.