Credit: Pixabay/CC0 public domainA new study shows that the most narcissistic U.S. Presidents since 1897 preferred inciting conflicts with other great power nations without seeking out support from allies.The results showed that presidents with the highest levels of narcissism, including Lyndon B. Johnson and Teddy Roosevelt, were six times more likely than those with average levels to start a dispute in any given year with another great power.John Harden, a doctoral student at The Ohio State University in political science and author of the study, stated that the tendency to "go it alone” in international disputes is compatible with those who are high in narcissism and want to improve their reputation and self-image.Harden stated that "more narcissistic U.S. Presidents differed than others in their approach to foreign policy,""They were more likely than the country to put their personal interests before political survival and national interest when it came time to how they dealt with some disputes."The study was recently published online in International Studies Quarterly.Harden studied presidents starting in 1897, roughly the time when the United States became a major power in the world through George W. Bush's 2009 election.Harden used a 2000 dataset by three researchers to assess presidents' personalities to determine their presidential narcissism.These researchers sought the advice of presidential historians and experts who had at least one book about a president. Each expert took part in a personality inventory that included more than 200 questions about each president.It is possible to take a personality test on another person. Harden stated that it works well. Another research showed that people completed the same personality inventory as the historians for an acquaintance. These people answered the personality questions in a similar way to their acquaintances, according to results.Harden examined five aspects of the personality test results of 19 presidents between 1897 and 2008. These relate to a common measure grandiose vanity.Harden found that these five factors were correlated with narcissism through a separate analysis involving a large population sample.These facets are people who seek power, boast about their achievements, and are willing and able to lie to get what they want. Harden stated that they would certainly be open to inflicting on others. It is a good description of a true narcissist.These results show that Lyndon Johnson was the president with the highest score for narcissism. Teddy Roosevelt and Richard Nixon were close behind.William McKinley was the president with the lowest score for narcissism, followed closely by William Howard Taft (and Calvin Coolidge).Harden stated that the results were in line with common assessments made by presidents."Ethically sound McKinley, sensitive, overwhelmed Taft and taciturn Coolidge rank at the bottom of this list. Johnson, Roosevelt, and Nixon, who are image-conscious and self-absorbed, are at the top.Harden used another dataset called Militarized Interstate Disputes to see how narcissism was linked to international conflict. This dataset includes all cases where one country used, threatened or displayed force against another, from 1816 through 2014.Harden focused on disputes that were initiated unilaterally by the United States and other great powers like the Soviet Union or China. All conflicts in which the United States sought to support allies were not considered a unilaterally initiated great-power dispute.Harden stated that many of these disputes are not well known by the general public but caused a lot of tension among world leaders.Nixon, for example, initiated Operation Giant Lance in 1969. This sent a squadron B-52s equipped with nuclear weapons to patrol the glacier cap near Moscow. Johnson initiated the Lightning Bug War in 1964. This involved sending drones deep within China.Harden controlled for many other factors in his study that could have contributed to these conflicts, including the president's political party, his final term, military experience, war-weariness, recession, if the government was united under one party, and whether it occurred during the Cold War.All of these factors were taken into consideration and the results indicated that about 4% of Americans would unilaterally start a great power dispute in any given calendar year. The likelihood of the United States initiating at least one great power dispute unilaterally in any given year was about 4% for presidents who were most narcissistic. This is more than six times greater than the probability for presidents who are lower in narcissism. The probability of a president who was at the lowest end of the narcissism spectrum was less than 1 percent."The data speak for themselves. These three presidents were the most narcissistic, initiating unilateral great power disputes that accounted for 33% to 71%. Harden stated that the three lowest-ranking presidents had no such power disputes."Harden stated that there are many reasons why more narcissistic leaders would be more likely to start fighting with other great power countries without allied support.They would want to work with great powers."Why would a leader who is focused on their history and image waste their time with less powerful status powers?" He said.They would also work alone because they don’t want to be in the spotlight and wouldn’t believe others have anything to offer.Leaders who are prone to narcissism can also act in ways that escalate tensions, such by taking actions to project power. They are open to taking risks. Harden stated that they also display dramatic behavior and send unclear signals.Harden stated that while the public and some politicians may believe that the U.S. president acts in the country's best interests, this study shows that some leaders use their office for their own personal gain.Harden stated that leaders who are high in narcissism do not want the same things as other people. "For them, the stage is the world."Review 437 studies to learn more about Narcissism and AggressionAdditional information: John P Harden. All the World's a Stage - US Presidential Narcissism, International Conflict. International Studies Quarterly (2021). John P Harden. All the World's a Stage - US Presidential Narcissism & International Conflict. (2021). DOI: 10.1093/isq/sqab048
