{
  "id": 19798113,
  "title": "New study finds vulnerable narcissism is linked to harsher judgments of police stops, even polite ones",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/13/new-study-finds-vulnerable-narcissism-is-linked-to-harsher-judgments",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-11-13T11:00:05.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "PsyPost",
    "slug": "psypost",
    "url": "https://www.psypost.org/new-study-finds-vulnerable-narcissism-is-linked-to-harsher-judgments-of-police-stops-even-polite-ones/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A new study published in the Journal of Experimental Criminology suggests that vulnerable narcissism is linked to harsher judgments of police stops, even those conducted with polite and fair behavior. The research, conducted by Professor Tal Jonathan-Zamir from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Institute of Criminology, involved 2,000 English-speaking U.S. adults aged 16 or older who had contact with the police in 2022. Participants read one of five traffic-stop scenarios, each with varying officer demeanor and ticket outcomes. The study found that those higher in vulnerable narcissism viewed police stops more unfavorably than those higher in grandiose narcissism, even when an officer was courteous and fair. Grandiose narcissism, characterized by assertiveness, overconfidence, and feelings of superiority, led to more positive perceptions of respectful treatment, while vulnerable narcissism, marked by fragile self-esteem and anxiety, resulted in more negative evaluations. The findings highlight the impact of everyday personality differences on how people perceive and evaluate police encounters, emphasizing the importance of procedural justice in fostering cooperation, satisfaction, and a sense of legitimacy among citizens.",
  "summary": "Two drivers can experience the same traffic stop very differently. A new experiment suggests that people higher in vulnerable narcissism rate police stops less favorably, even when the officer is polite and fair.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}