Admiration vs Rivalry Test (NARQ)

In 2013, personality psychologist Mitja D. Back and his research team introduced the Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Questionnaire (NARQ) to resolve a long-standing paradox in social psychology. For decades, researchers observed that people high in narcissistic traits could appear charming, energetic, and confident in initial encounters, yet frequently displayed hostility, defensiveness, and interpersonal conflict over time. The NARQ model reconciled these contradictory behaviors by demonstrating that narcissism operates through two distinct, complementary dynamics: an assertive, self-enhancing admiration pathway and an antagonistic, self-defensive rivalry pathway.

The narcissistic admiration strategy focuses on gaining social praise and building a grandiose self-image through assertive self-promotion. Within the NARQ framework, this dimension comprises three interrelated facets: grandiosity, striving for uniqueness, and charmingness. Grandiosity captures an internal sense of greatness and a deeply held belief in one's special importance. Striving for uniqueness reflects the ambition to stand out, attain widespread recognition, and achieve lasting prominence. Charmingness involves using social skill, conversational poise, and captivating presence to draw attention and win the genuine approval of peers. When dominant, this strategy often produces positive first impressions and buoyant self-esteem.

In contrast, the narcissistic rivalry strategy functions as a defensive, self-protective mechanism aimed at preventing failure and maintaining status by putting others down. This antagonistic dimension is evaluated across three facets: hostility, striving for supremacy, and devaluation. Hostility reflects quickness to anger, irritability when criticized, and resentment when someone else becomes the focus of attention. Striving for supremacy involves an intensely competitive urge to defeat rivals, outdo peers, and gain satisfaction from another person's setbacks. Devaluation manifests as a tendency to dismiss others as inferior, incapable, or unworthy. When rivalry dominates, it tends to trigger interpersonal tension, mutual mistrust, and relational strain over time.

Empirical studies using the NARQ show that admiration and rivalry lead to strikingly different life and relationship outcomes. Individuals who score high on admiration typically experience higher subjective well-being, enjoy robust self-esteem, and maintain satisfying social networks, provided their desire for validation remains balanced. Conversely, elevated rivalry scores are consistently linked to heightened sensitivity to rejection, chronic relationship friction, and volatile self-worth that fluctuates with perceived slights. Most people express both tendencies in varying proportions, relying on different behaviors depending on their personal goals, social settings, and perceived threats to their status.

The visual profile below illustrates your individual balance across both major dimensions and their underlying facets. Please note that the population comparison markers shown on your results chart are estimates, not validated percentiles. They are estimated averages derived from published research samples rather than clinically standardized or established population norms, and are included solely to provide broader context for understanding how your individual self-reported tendencies compare with typical patterns observed in empirical studies.

This assessment is based on the published Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Questionnaire and is intended strictly for personal self-reflection and educational purposes. It is not affiliated with the original authors or their research institutions, nor is it designed to serve as a psychological diagnosis, clinical evaluation, or substitute for professional mental health guidance. Use your results as an informative starting point to reflect upon your personal communication habits, status motives, and everyday social relationships.

References

• Back, M. D., Küfner, A. C. P., Dufner, M., Gerlach, T. M., Rauthmann, J. F., & Denissen, J. J. A. (2013). Narcissistic admiration and rivalry: Disentangling the bright and dark sides of narcissism. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 105(6), 1013-1037.