Narcissism Unveiled: Exploring the Dynamics of Emotion and Everyday Creativity

This study investigates the dynamic relationship between negative emotions and everyday creativity, with a particular emphasis on how different dimensions of narcissism moderate this relationship. We collected data from 395 adults (M-age = 30.59, SD = 5.95, 44.56% female) using the day reconstruction method and analyzed it through hierarchical regression analysis. Participants self-reported daily emotions and creativity via online questionnaires over five consecutive days. The results suggest that negative emotions positively predict one's creative self-concept but do not significantly influence everyday creative behaviors. Additionally, grandiose narcissism appears to enhance the relationship between negative emotions and everyday creative behaviors. Meanwhile, vulnerable narcissism negatively impacts the relationship between negative emotions and creativity. Individuals with both high levels of vulnerable and grandiose narcissistic traits exhibit lower creative self-concept (novelty and usefulness) under negative emotions. This study offers an integrative perspective, showing that everyday creativity is shaped by the interaction between narcissistic traits and negative emotions. It underscores the need to consider both stable personality traits and fluctuating emotions to fully understand creative behavior in daily life.