Gender Differences and Age Trends in Pathological Narcissism on a Sample of Iranian Students Publisher Pubmed



Soleimani M ; Pincus AL ; Mohammadi A ; Paast N ; Qaderi Bagajan K
Source: BMC Psychology Published:2026

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of narcissistic personality disorder is higher in men than women, and men tend to score higher than women on many self-report measures of narcissism. However, these findings may be contingent on the conceptualization of narcissism and measures used. Further, there is evidence indicating that women can also exhibit higher levels of narcissism. Gender differences in narcissism present a complex and unclear picture. Methods: This study, utilizing the Pathological Narcissism Inventory (PNI), aims to investigate the scores of pathological narcissism among men and women in Iranian society and its age trends across genders. A total of 707 students from 8 universities in three metropolises participated, with 319 men and 388 women that completed the PNI. Results: Findings indicated no significant differences in the overall scores of pathological narcissism and its two phenotypes, narcissistic grandiosity and narcissistic vulnerability, between men and women. Gender was not a significant predictor for pathological narcissism. Additionally, a significant correlation was observed between age and pathological narcissism, particularly among men, who displayed a fluctuating trend in pathological narcissism and narcissistic vulnerability with age. Conclusions: The present study does not provide a support for the idea that men are more pathologically narcissistic than women in Iranian culture based on the PNI. There is an evidence for a possibility to develop pathological narcissism over lifespan differently across genders. Furthermore, social and situational factors may be influenced more men’s than women’s pathological narcissism within Iranian culture. Future research investigating influential factors in the development of narcissism across genders is strongly recommended. © The Author(s) 2026.