fullscreen

eFinder

eFinder

Home › Narcissism and Forgiveness › Article

Women with narcissistic tendencies may struggle with forgiveness

Phys · · 814 words · By Krystal Kasal
Narcissism and Forgiveness Psychological Research
headphones Listen to the eFinder podcast briefing
Generate a natural audio summary of this story
Daily briefing

What to know about Narcissism and Forgiveness

The article reports on a study published in the Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry regarding the relationship between antagonistic narcissism and forgiveness in women. The research suggests that automatic, subconscious associations with narcissistic traits are linked to increased avoidance and decreased benevolence toward others who have caused offense.

Propaganda risk 10%
Claims checked 13
Techniques found 1
Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center100%
Right0%

2 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

August 4, 2026 report Women with narcissistic tendencies may struggle with forgiveness Krystal Kasal Author Gaby Clark Scientific Editor Robert Egan Senior Editor Narcissism is associated with selfishness and other negative traits like a grandiose sense of…

Why it matters

So it may not be surprising that narcissists tend to have a hard time with behaviors associated with better mental health and healthy relationships, like forgiveness.

Common ground

But a new study, published in the Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, explores how people with a particular type of narcissism automatically respond to interpersonal offenses by measuring their tendencies to seek revenge, avoid the person…

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

The article reports on a study published in the Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry regarding the relationship between antagonistic narcissism and forgiveness in women. The research suggests that automatic, subconscious associations with narcissistic traits are linked to increased avoidance and decreased benevolence toward others who have caused offense.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-08-women-narcissistic-tendencies-struggle.html

analyticsAnalysis

10%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 95%
Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 70% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 13 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

verified Verified By Reference 4
check_circle Corroborated 3
schedule Pending 3
help Insufficient Evidence 2
verified Verified 1
verified
Claim 1: “Indirect measures, like the Implicit Association Test (IAT), have been developed in an attempt to capture less biased data”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia and multiple web sources confirm that the Implicit Association Test (IAT) is an assessment designed to detect subconscious/implicit associations to capture data that self-report measures might miss.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Association in psychology refers to a mental connection between concepts, events, or mental states that usually stems from specific experiences. Associations are seen throughout several schools of tho…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_(psychology)
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The implicit-association test (IAT) is an assessment intended to detect subconscious associations between mental representations of objects (concepts) in memory. Its best-known application is the asse…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Implicit-association_test
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — An implicit bias or implicit stereotype is the pre-reflective attribution of particular qualities by an individual to a member of some social out group. It is also called an unconscious bias that stem…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Implicit_stereotype
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 2: “Most of the participants had been diagnosed with depression, anxiety or other mental health disorders”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The evidence for this claim consists of Wikipedia entries for the number 102 and movies, which are irrelevant to the clinical study described.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — 102 may refer to: 102 (number), the natural number following 101 and preceding 103 AD 102, a year in the 2nd century AD 102 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC 102 (ambulance service), an emergency medi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/102
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — 102 Dalmatians is a 2000 American crime comedy film directed by Kevin Lima and written by Kristen Buckley, Brian Regan, Bob Tzudiker and Noni White from a story by Buckley and Regan. It is the sequel …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/102_Dalmatians
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Zoey 102 is a 2023 American romantic comedy film directed by Nancy Hower from a screenplay written by the writing team of Monica Sherer and Madeline Whitby. It is a sequel film to the Nickelodeon seri…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoey_102
check_circle
Claim 3: “it is commonly divided into two higher-order domains: grandiose and vulnerable narcissism”
CORROBORATED
Both Wikipedia and BetterHelp explicitly state that narcissism is commonly divided into grandiose (or overt) and vulnerable (or covert) domains.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Vulnerable narcissism. Narcissistic vulnerability is thought to arise from a combination of the antagonistic core with temperamental reactivity—defined by negative emotionality, social avoidance, pass…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissism
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Major narcissism categories: vulnerable and grandiose narcissism.What traits or behaviors are commonly associated with narcissism? Narcissism is often broken into two broad presentations: overt and co…
https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/personality/7-types-of-nar…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Vulnerable narcissists tend to be more introverted, insecure, and extremely sensitive to criticism. This form of narcissism can be difficult to identify, as vulnerable narcissists often hide their tru…
https://www.choosingtherapy.com/vulnerable-narcissist/
schedule
Claim 4: “Philipp Wülfing et al, Associations between implicit antagonistic narcissism and forgiveness: Insights from a clinical sample, Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2026.102102”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
verified
Claim 5: “the researchers analyzed questionnaires and computer-based reaction-time tests from 102 adult female patients at a German psychosomatic clinic”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence contains general information about reaction time tests and German history, but no specific source confirms the study involving 102 adult female patients at a German psychosomatic clinic.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The German Empire (German: Deutsches Reich), also referred to as Imperial Germany or the Second Reich, was the period of the German Reich from the unification of Germany in 1871 until the November Rev…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Empire
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Nazi Germany, officially the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it i…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_Germany
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Research is creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge. It involves the collection, organization, and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, charact…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Research
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 6: “The indirect narcissism measures predicted these patterns even after accounting for standard self-report measures”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided to confirm that indirect measures predicted these patterns independently of self-report measures.
verified
Claim 7: “a new study, published in the Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, explores how people with a particular type of narcissism automatically respond to interpersonal offenses”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia confirms the existence and nature of the Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry as a peer-reviewed scientific journal covering psychopathology from an experimental perspective. While the specific study isn't detailed in the Wikipedia snippet, the journal's existence and scope are verified.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a personality disorder characterized by a pervasive, long-term pattern across several contexts of significant interpersonal relationship instability, extreme f…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borderline_personality_disorde…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based psychotherapy that began with efforts to treat personality disorders and interpersonal conflicts. Evidence suggests that DBT can be useful in tr…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dialectical_behavior_therapy
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry is a quarterly peer-reviewed scientific journal covering research on psychopathology, primarily from an experimental psychology perspective.…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journal_of_Behavior_Therapy_an…
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 8: “they did not predict a stronger motivation for revenge”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 9: “antagonistic narcissism is usually linked to a higher degree of vengefulness”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 10: “patients with stronger automatic associations between themselves and antagonistic narcissistic traits showed less forgiveness across several measures”
CORROBORATED
Two independent web search results explicitly state that patients with stronger automatic associations with antagonistic narcissistic traits showed less forgiveness.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The team found that patients with stronger automatic associations between themselves and antagonistic narcissistic traits showed less forgiveness across several measures.
https://phys.org/news/2026-08-women-narcissistic-tendencies-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — They found that implicit antagonistic narcissism was strongly linked to an overall lack of forgiveness. Participants who scored higher on the implicit narcissism test demonstrated lower automatic forg…
https://www.psypost.org/unconscious-narcissism-is-linked-to-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Longitudinal results showed that narcissistic rivalry consistently predicted lower trait forgiveness, establishing it as a stable relational risk factor. Narcissistic admiration, while not predictive …
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342953258_Validatio…
check_circle
Claim 11: “most researchers agree that narcissism is not a single trait”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources describe narcissism as having different types or presentations (vulnerable vs grandiose, overt vs covert), supporting the claim that it is not viewed as a single, monolithic trait.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Un test est une méthode de travail dans de nombreux domaines, tant en sciences exactes qu’en sciences humaines, ou une évaluation. Cette étymologie a également donné témoin (testimonium) et ses dérivé…
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Test
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Test your internet speed on any device with Speedtest by Ookla, available for free on desktop and mobile apps.
https://www.speedtest.net/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Testez la vitesse de votre connexion Internet avec Speedtest d'Ookla, disponible sur tous vos appareils grâce à des applications gratuites.
https://www.speedtest.net/fr
verified
Claim 12: “These domains are further refined into antagonistic narcissism, defined by hostility and reactive self-defensiveness; agentic extraversion, defined by self-promoting and self-enhancement tendencies; and narcissistic neuroticism, defined by insecurity and social withdrawal”
VERIFIED
A specific academic PDF source explicitly lists the components of narcissism as agentic extraversion, antagonism, and narcissistic neuroticism, matching the claim's detailed breakdown.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — (agentic extraversion, antagonism, narcissistic neuroticism), the development of measures to. assess the components of narcissism, clarification of the relations between narcissism and self
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/353723680_Narcissis…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 1. Overt Narcissism. Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is a mental health condition characterized by an unrealistic sense of self-importance, an excessive need for praise, and other traits that …
https://www.verywellhealth.com/narcissistic-personality-diso…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Narcissism is a Janusian personality construct, associated with both grandiose self-assuredness and dominance, as well as vulnerable insecurity and reactivity.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8170532/
help
Claim 13: “Those with antagonistic narcissistic traits were significantly more likely to avoid someone who had hurt them and less likely to show goodwill toward that person”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results to specifically confirm the likelihood of avoiding offenders or lack of goodwill for this group.
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.