Just my luck:: Narcissistic admiration and rivalry differentially predict word of mouth about promotional games

Abstract

We examine the role of narcissistic admiration and rivalry in consumers’ word of mouth about promotional games. We show that, although narcissistic admiration and rivalry are both positively associated with belief in good luck (Study 1), their associations with word of mouth in reference to a retailer diverge when consumers lose a chance-based promotional game (Study 2). Specifically, when consumers lose (but not win), narcissistic admiration is associated with more favorable word of mouth (i.e., leaving a positive review on a website), whereas narcissistic rivalry is associated with less favorable word of mouth. These diverging effects vary depending on the effort that consumers exert to participate in the game (Study 3), and are informed by authentic and hubristic pride (Study 4). Positive and negative affect do not account for the findings. The results provide further evidence of the distinct processes motivating self-enhancement among consumers higher in narcissistic admiration and rivalry.

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ORCID for Constantine Sedikides: orcid.org/0000-0003-4036-889X

ORCID for Claire Hart: orcid.org/0000-0003-2175-2474

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