Sociosexual Narcissist: CRM vs. Agency Models (Clip Skopje Seminar Opening, May 2025)

Session details

• Informal opening: multilingual greeting (German/French), speaker mentioned living in Czech Republic and Poland. Session presented as a Q&A; additional questions would be handled during a later Q&A when the speaker was not present.

Main topics discussed

1. Sociosexuality and narcissism

• Definition: “Sociosexual” describes an attitude (sociosexuality) — willingness to have sex outside a committed relationship. It is an attitudinal dimension and does not necessarily imply action.
• Association: Sociosexuality in narcissists tends to align with short-term sexual behavior and openness to casual sex, though attitude does not inevitably lead to behavior.

2. Contextual Reinforcement Model (CRM) of narcissism

• Core idea: Narcissists seek novelty and instability; they prefer short-term, destabilizing contexts over stable, long-term ones.
• Behavioral implications: Narcissists may intentionally destabilize environments and relationships to maintain stimulation and avoid feelings of suffocation in stable settings.
• Example/metaphor used: an attraction to novel, extravagant items (e.g., expensive airplanes) as an illustration of novelty-seeking.

3. Agency model of narcissism (five elements)

• Purpose: Presented as an alternative model to CRM; summarized to answer audience questions.
• Five elements:
  1. Agency focus: Narcissists prioritize agency — performance, action, and goal attainment — over communal values. They are goal-oriented and driven to obtain outcomes.
  2. Inflated self-concept: Narcissists maintain an exaggerated or grandiose self-view.
  3. Self-enhancement and self-regulation: Narcissists solicit feedback and other forms of validation to maintain and bolster their grandiose self-image.
  4. Entitlement: A pronounced sense of deservingness and expectation of preferential treatment.
  5. Approach orientation: Emphasis on rewards and immediate gratification rather than risks, costs, or long-term consequences.
• Contrast with psychopathy: Narcissists are primarily motivated by “narcissistic supply” (admiration/validation) while psychopaths pursue a broader set of objectives (sex, money, access, etc.).

4. Communal (pro-social) narcissist — exception to the agency rule

• Description: A minority variant who adopts communal or moral posturing (ostentatious generosity, publicized donations, charitable acts) as a form of grandiosity.
• Behavior: Public displays of altruism and moral superiority serve self-enhancement purposes rather than genuine communal concern.

5. Framing for the lecture

• The speaker positioned the CRM as the dominant model to be discussed in the main lecture; the sociosexuality and agency models were presented first as context and background.
• The session at hand was not the full lecture; it was primarily question-driven and preparatory for the main discussion of the psychodynamic model (mentioned as the upcoming dominant model to be covered).

Tone and presentation notes

• The talk was conversational and included humorous asides (e.g., “all your answers questioned, not all your questions answered”).
• Clarified that some material was answering pre-submitted questions rather than constituting the full lecture.

Key takeaways

• Narcissism can be conceptualized in multiple models: sociosexuality (attitude toward casual sex), the Contextual Reinforcement Model (novelty/instability seeking), and the Agency Model (five-part motivational/attitudinal profile).
• Most narcissists prioritize agency, immediate reward, and self-enhancement; only a small minority present as communal/pro-social narcissists.
• The speaker planned to focus next on the psychodynamic model as the dominant framework for understanding narcissism.

Action items / Next steps

• Audience encouraged to ask additional questions during a later Q&A when the speaker was not present.
• Upcoming lecture to cover the psychodynamic model in greater depth.

Notes on omissions / limits of this session

• This meeting was an introduction/overview addressing submitted questions; it did not provide an exhaustive lecture on the psychodynamic model, which was flagged as the next focus.