http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/star-wars-and-video-game-geeks-more-likely-to-be-narcissists-study-finds-a6785891.html
If you score highly on the Nerd Engagement Scale you are more likely to show signs of neurotic behavior QuoteThose who take part in “geeky events†are more likely to have an “elevated grandiose†level of narcissism, according to a study conducted by the University of Georgia.
Psychologists examined the personality traits of those who turn to “geek cultureâ€, developing a Geek Culture Engagement Scale and a Geek Identity Scale to help quantify the figures.
Those who take part in “geeky events†are more likely to have an “elevated grandiose†level of narcissism, according to a studyconducted by the University of Georgia.
Psychologists examined the personality traits of those who turn to “geek cultureâ€, developing a Geek Culture Engagement Scale and a Geek Identity Scale to help quantify the figures.
It was found that those who scored highly on both scales were more likely to narcissists.
Subjects are scored on a scale of one to five, depending on how often they take part in activities such as live action role playing games, Dungeons and Dragons, cosplaying, puppetry, robotics - and enjoying things such as video games and Star Wars.
Writing in the Public Library of Science One journal, Jessica McCain, the scientist who led the research said: “Geek culture is a subculture of enthusiasts that is traditionally associated with obscure media like Japanese animation, science fictions and video games.
"However, geek culture is becoming increasingly mainstream. In the past year alone, New York Comic-Con, one of the premier geek conventions in the United States, attracted over 130,000 attendees.
"Our findings suggest that geek media is especially attractive to narcissists, independent of demographic variables."
The research was conducted across 2,354 people attending a science fiction and fantasy convention in Georgia.
Those behind the study said the findings were conclusive in establishing a link between those who scored highly on the Geek Scale and those who showed higher levels of neuroticism and non-clinical depression.
I was going to say something about me being statistically normal because I'm not a gamer nor a rabid Star Wars fan, and then realized I like Anime. Go where you want with this, but apparently I'm as narcissistic as the rest of you weirdos.
:16:
I suspect an agenda behind the motive. The team of psychologists were macho types that preferred fantasy football to Star Wars conventions, and felt threatened by geeks.
While headline is definitely an attention-grabber, the official write-up gives a better explanation of the findings, imo.
QuoteThese studies present evidence that individuals may engage in geek culture in order to maintain narcissistic self-views (the great fantasy migration hypothesis), to fulfill belongingness needs (the belongingness hypothesis), and to satisfy needs for creative expression (the need for engagement hypothesis). Geek engagement is found to be associated with elevated grandiose narcissism, extraversion, openness to experience, depression, and subjective well-being across multiple samples.
QuoteSeparate from Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), narcissism is a normal personality trait characterized by a grandiose sense of self as well as efforts to maintain that sense of self in the face of reality [14]. Narcissists can be charismatic [15], confident [16], or even emerge as effective leaders [17], but when faced with failure or criticism, narcissists tend to protect their sense of self through such strategies as discrediting the source of the criticism [18] and withdrawing from challenging tasks in favor of easier routes to self-enhancement [19]. In the United States, narcissism has been increasing since the 1970’s, while traditional ways of supporting narcissism such as prestigious jobs and credit (e.g., the debt bubble collapse) are becoming less viable for the majority of Americans. The result for individuals is discomfort (or cognitive dissonance [20]) with the incongruence between inflated sense of self and deflated reality [13]. One solution for resolving this dissonance is to migrate into a fantasy world via role playing games, fandoms, and fantasy media. These hobbies present opportunities for living out a grandiose self (e.g., by role playing a powerful or charismatic character) that might not be possible in the non-fantasy world. And, of course, in some cases success in fantasy (e.g., tournament gaming, achieving cosplay fame) can lead to real world success. In addition, it is easier to obtain expert status and admiration for one’s knowledge of geek subjects (e.g., Star Trek trivia) because credentials such as education and certification are not required. Thus, narcissistic individuals who are unable to receive the admiration and praise to which they feel entitled (whether because of failure, or because their grandiose fantasy is impossible to live out in the real world) may turn to a fantasy world where such praise is more easily obtained.
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0142200#pone-0142200-t001
I honestly don't know how accurate the article is. I personally have never considered myself a geek/nerd because by and large my activities don't fit the description. I am not very smart about IT stuff and my expertise generally runs along the lines of jobs I have had over the years. I don't consider myself an intellectual but maybe I am, whatever. I do, however, have what is probably an unnatural fascination with anime and certain aspects of Asian culture and such. Throw it out for your discussion, might be useful.
I'm better than a narcissist. I'm so perfect that I have to have faults to keep me humble.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCsNunGnqE0
I'm relieved to know that there are other geeks into puppetry.
I have known some narcissistic geeks. Trying to get help at Hastings is like getting an appointment with the king.
Fans = young people ... statistically
Young people = less mature ... statistically
Less mature = narcissistic ... statistically
Not that I have any problem with fans, young people, or immaturity. I had my turn at being less mature ;-)
Also I think that literature etc where you get to imagine you are a hero ... something young people love ... is a bit narcissistic. Excuse me while I go dry clean my "super suit".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2qRDMHbXaM
Quote from: stromboli on December 26, 2015, 09:21:52 AM
I was going to say something about me being statistically normal because I'm not a gamer nor a rabid Star Wars fan, and then realized I like Anime. Go where you want with this, but apparently I'm as narcissistic as the rest of you weirdos.
I thought the same thing at first and then thought, damn, I myself am in the middle of a decade-long love affair with Star Trek. I also like a lot of other fantasy like Harry Potter, the Marvel universe, Game of Thrones, the Walking Dead, the Hunger Games, etc.
But I don't "take part in activities such as live action role playing games, Dungeons and Dragons, cosplaying, puppetry, robotics" and I've never really had a huge interest in video games, so maybe it's not as bad as I thought.
Quote from: Baruch on December 26, 2015, 01:58:52 PM
Fans = young people ... statistically
Young people = less mature ... statistically
Less mature = narcissistic ... statistically
Not that I have any problem with fans, young people, or immaturity. I had my turn at being less mature ;-)
Also I think that literature etc where you get to imagine you are a hero ... something young people love ... is a bit narcissistic. Excuse me while I go dry clean my "super suit".
Good points. Since gamers are generally younger, it could certainly be related to that. I've met my share of narcissistic people, and some with grandiose self images based on very little if any real accomplishments. I'm not sure exactly how a fascination with
Japanese girls in sailor suits anime works out to be narcissistic, but whatever. :biggrin:
Quote from: TomFoolery on December 26, 2015, 02:29:27 PM
I thought the same thing at first and then thought, damn, I myself am in the middle of a decade-long love affair with Star Trek. I also like a lot of other fantasy like Harry Potter, the Marvel universe, Game of Thrones, the Walking Dead, the Hunger Games, etc.
But I don't "take part in activities such as live action role playing games, Dungeons and Dragons, cosplaying, puppetry, robotics" and I've never really had a huge interest in video games, so maybe it's not as bad as I thought.
Having been involved with Buckskinning/black powder cultures, I knew some reenactors, including a friend who was in a couple of Grizzly Adams movies. I can definitely see where they could be labeled narcissistic. My friend even offered a possible spot as a reenactor on a film, but it was too far away and I wasn't into it that much. He ran an emissions testing business and had pictures of himself in his gear all over the shop, and he bragged about being a consultant on things to do with mountain men. Pretty sure he qualified.
It's possible that the study is flawed. The sample was taken from people attending a Sci Fi and Fantasy convention in Georgia. We all know lots of Sci Fi fans, but how many Sci Fi convention goers do you know? This is a very special group of rather unusual fans, but even then I question the results. They interviewed people who were jacked up about being in a wonderland environment wearing their Superman outfits, and they were probably having fun staying in character playing their roles during the survey.
How useful is the information? This whole thing was a weird project from the start. What the Hell does a Geek Culture Engagement Scale or a Geek Identity Scale even look like? It smells fishy like some freshman Psy 101 assignment that got turned in after a drunken weekend binge. And even if the results are valid, why would anyone care? Did they get grant money to pursue a study like this?
Quote from: stromboli on December 26, 2015, 02:30:02 PM
Good points. Since gamers are generally younger, it could certainly be related to that. I've met my share of narcissistic people, and some with grandiose self images based on very little if any real accomplishments. I'm not sure exactly how a fascination with Japanese girls in sailor suits anime works out to be narcissistic, but whatever. :biggrin:
The Japanese name for school girl uniforms is suggestive ... "fuku". The Japanese side of the obsession is much more bisexual than the American. Same as the Lolita movement in Japan. The girls who are into cosplay are ... very narcissistic I think ... and the boys ... well we know what they want ;-)
Quote from: SGOS on December 26, 2015, 03:38:07 PMIt's possible that the study is flawed. The sample was taken from people attending a Sci Fi and Fantasy convention in Georgia. We all know lots of Sci Fi fans, but how many Sci Fi convention goers do you know?
Yes. Not typical at all. Likely skewed quite a bit towards extroversion, at the very least.
Also, the write-up elaborates that we're not talking about Narcissistic Personality Disorder, but rather a heightened sense of what are actually fairly common narcissistic tendencies.
"Please note that it is not our intention to link geek culture with psychiatric dysfunction or antisocial behavior. We have conducted no clinical assessments of any kind. Our theoretical accounts refer to variations in normal personality traits that are not necessarily maladaptive and may even be adaptive in some contexts."
Of course, someone who simply reads the headlines or the brief news article without touching the write-up (approx. 99% of the readership) is likely to be misled and think that comic-con attendees are certifiable, which is not the case.
I think the study is flawed after reading it a few times. First of all the percentages of any group- gamers, Star Wars "fans" is higher and more diverse than given, in my opinion. I have at some point watched just about every episode of Star Trek old and new, but not seen the last two movies. So technically I might be considered a fan, but don't think of myself as one. And I suspect there are probably 5 people to 1 that don't fit the paradigm they describe.
Or are all social studies political in nature? To either identify yet another minority to save ... or yet another minority to be feared and eliminated?
I think a case could be made for this conclusion without even trying hard.
I wonder if religion geeks are also prone to narcissism?
https://youtu.be/gNtnN_DiP3o
If one is overly enthusiastic about religion ... definitely a nerd. Religion is much like Dragons & Dungeons. I save the term "geek" for technical enthusiasts.