Hong Kong kids more narcissistic than Western kids: study
0 Comment(s)
Print
E-mail Xinhua, April 23, 2013
Hong Kong kids tend to be significantly more narcissistic than their counterparts in Western countries, with parenting styles identified as a contributing factor, according to a study released Tuesday by the City University of Hong Kong (CityU).
The study, which was conducted by Dr Annis Fung Lai-chu, associate professor of CityU's Department of Applied Social Studies, used a narcissism index to assess 9,432 Primary 3 to Form 5 students at 13 schools in different regions in Hong Kong.
According to the index, Hong Kong students are more narcissistic (M=3.89) compared with comparable studies in the United States (M=2.90), Australia (M=2.81) and Britain (M=2.36). Another significant finding is that the mean scores of narcissism among adolescent offenders in the U.S. (M=6.90) and Canada (M=5.93) are similar or even lower than the mean scores of narcissism in adolescents with proactive aggression in Hong Kong (M=6.23).
Furthermore, the data suggests that students from high-income families -- total monthly family income 30,000 HK dollars (3,856 U. S. dollars) or above -- are more narcissistic, whereas students from low-income families (total monthly family income less than 10,000 HK dollars), such as those receiving Comprehensive Social Security Assistance, appear to have no narcissistic personality traits.
The findings also show that narcissism significantly correlates to parenting style, with authoritarian and permissive parenting styles correlating significantly to narcissism among proactive aggressors.
Fung said generally children in Hong Kong tend to be over-served at home because families are smaller than in previous generations and many families hire domestic helpers. Subsequently, children perceived themselves to be important, powerful and dominant in the family, deserving of anything they want, she said.
The study also found that corporal punishment encourages proactively aggressive children to consider aggression as the most effective way to reach goals, and in turn makes them more narcissistic.
In fact, according to Fung, the study shows the extent to which narcissism is closely related to proactive aggression, i.e. aggressive behavior is not driven by frustration, hostility or perception of threat, but rather that it is a way to obtain instrumental goals (e.g. money, materials, power).
"Proactive aggressors are very intelligent, calm, and confident. It should be noted that delinquent behavior among proactive aggressors is usually deliberate and highly organized," she said. "Indeed, there are close links between proactive aggressors and psychopathy, and psychopaths are more likely to commit homicide."
Fung pointed out that this research had proved that an authoritative, as opposed to authoritarian, parenting style is more conducive to the development of children's personality and the parent-child relationship, and helps suppress narcissism.
According to Fung, authoritative parents listen to their children; allow them to express opinions; place limits, consequences and expectations on children's behavior; administer fair and consistent discipline when children break the rules; develop children's reasoning and introspective abilities; encourage independence based on children's different development stages and evaluate and enjoy the process with children instead of just focusing on outcomes.
"Parents should focus more on developing children's ethics and empathy so that they would appreciate and respect others, and understand the needs and feelings of others," she said. "Parents should also instill in their children a pleasurable sense of helping others." Endi
Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)