Relational Aggression toward Ex-Boy/Girlfriend: The Role of Narcissism and Quality of Previous Romantic Relationships among Undergraduate Students

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that narcissism and the quality of romantic relationships are found to play a major role in relational aggression. However, there was limited research on relational aggression in the context of terminated romantic relationships. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the role of narcissistic personality and the quality of previous romantic relationships on relational aggression toward ex-boy/girlfriend. The participants consisted of 358 undergraduate students between the ages of 17-21 (M = 19.56, SD = 1.27). Narcissistic personality, quality of previous romantic relationships, and relational aggression were measured using questionnaires. The results showed that narcissistic personality and the quality of romantic relationships can explain the relational aggression toward ex-boy/girlfriend. Implications of these results to behavioral science are discussed for further understanding the role of personal and contextual factors as predictors of romantic aggression on a terminated relationship.