Abstract
The present research examines psychological concomitants of support for anti-abortion laws in Poland in the wake of the Constitutional Tribunal’s 2020 ruling restricting access to abortion in cases of fetal malformations. Results of two cross-sectional studies conducted on representative samples of Poles (Study 1, N = 994 and Study 2, N = 432) indicated that support for an almost total abortion ban was associated with national narcissism – a belief in the national in-group’s greatness that is contingent on its external validation. In both studies, the relationship between national narcissism and support for anti-abortion laws was mediated by hostile, but not benevolent, sexism. Study 2 additionally showed that this effect remained significant even when we accounted for other important variables, such as individual narcissism or prejudice towards people with Down syndrome. Overall, our results indicate that national narcissism may play an important role in shaping anti-abortion attitudes.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data Availability
The data supporting the current findings are openly available at the Open Science Framework: https://osf.io/rbcw4/?view_only=e81535553fb849a7bf213665a8d6f1a4.
References
Allport, G. W. (1954). The nature of prejudice. Addison-Wesley.
Barreto, M., & Ellemers, N. (2005). The burden of benevolent sexism: How it contributes to the maintenance of gender inequalities. European Journal of Social Psychology, 35(5), 633–642. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.270
Bazińska, R., & Drat-Ruszczak, K. (2000). Struktura narcyzmu w polskiej adaptacji kwestionariusza NPI Raskina i Halla [The structure of narcissism measured with Polish adaptation of Raskin and Hall NPI]. Czasopismo Psychologiczne, 6, 171–187.
Becker, J. C., & Wright, S. C. (2011). Yet another dark side of chivalry: Benevolent sexism undermines and hostile sexism motivates collective action for social change. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 101(1), 62–77. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0022615
Biddlestone, M., Cichocka, A., Główczewski, M., & Cislak, A. (2020, July 14–16). Their own worst enemy? Collective narcissists are willing to conspire against their ingroup [Paper presentation]. International Society of Political Psychology's 43rd Annual Meeting. Virtual conference.
Blascovich, J., Mendes, W. B., Hunter, S. B., & Lickel, B. (2000). Stigma, threat, and social interactions. In T. F. Heatherton, R. E. Kleck, M. R. Hebl, & J. G. Hull (Eds.), The social psychology of stigma (pp. 307–333). Guilford Press.
Calogero, R. M., & Jost, J. T. (2011). Self-subjugation among women: Exposure to sexist ideology, self-objectification, and the protective function of the need to avoid closure. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 100(2), 211–228. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0021864
Cameron, J. E. (2004). A three-factor model of social identity. Self and Identity, 3(3), 239–262. https://doi.org/10.1080/13576500444000047
Carver, C. S., Glass, D. C., & Katz, I. (1978). Favorable evaluations of Blacks and the handicapped: Positive prejudice, unconscious denial, or social desirability? Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 8(2), 97–106. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.1978.tb00768.x
Centrum Badania Opini Społecznej. (2020). O dopuszczalności przerywania ciąży i protestach po wyroku Trybunału Konstytucyjnego (No. 153/2020). [On the admissibility of pregnancy termination and the protests following the Constitutional Tribunal’s ruling]. https://www.cbos.pl/SPISKOM.POL/2020/K_153_20.PDF
Cichocka, A. (2016). Understanding defensive and secure in-group positivity: The role of collective narcissism. European Review of Social Psychology, 27(1), 283–317. https://doi.org/10.1080/10463283.2016.1252530
Cichocka, A., Golec de Zavala, A., Marchlewska, M., Bilewicz, M., Jaworska, M., & Olechowski, M. (2018). Personal control decreases narcissistic but increases non-narcissistic in-group positivity. Journal of Personality, 86(3), 465–480. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12328
Cichocka, A., Marchlewska, M., Golec de Zavala, A., & Olechowski, M. (2016). They will not control us: Ingroup positivity and belief in intergroup conspiracies. British Journal of Psychology, 107(3), 556–576. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjop.12158
Cikara, M., Lee, T. L., Fiske, S. T., & Click, P. (2009). Ambivalent sexism at home and at work: How attitudes toward women in relationships foster exclusion in the public sphere. In J. T. Jost, A. C. Kay, & H. Thorisdottir (Eds.), Social and psychological bases of ideology and system justification (pp. 444–462). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195320916.003.018
Cislak, A., Marchlewska, M., Wojcik, A. D., Śliwiński, K., Molenda, Z., Szczepańska, D., & Cichocka, A. (2021). National narcissism and support for voluntary vaccination policy: The mediating role of vaccination conspiracy beliefs. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 24(5), 701–719. https://doi.org/10.1177/1368430220959451
Cislak, A., Pyrczak, M., Mikiewicz, A., & Cichocka, A. (2020). Brexit and Polexit: Collective narcissism is associated with support for leaving the European Union. Social Psychological Bulletin, 15(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.32872/spb.2645
Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed). Erlbaum.
Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights. (2020, April 14). Commissioner urges Poland’s Parliament to reject bills that restrict women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights and children’s right to sexuality education [Press release]. https://www.coe.int/en/web/commissioner/-/commissioner-urges-poland-s-parliament-to-reject-bills-that-restrict-women-s-sexual-and-reproductive-health-and-rights-and-children-s-right-to-sexuali
Dardenne, B., Dumont, M., & Bollier, T. (2007). Insidious dangers of benevolent sexism: Consequences for women’s performance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 93(5), 764–779. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.93.5.764
Duda, M. (2016). Dogmat płci: Polska wojna z gender. [The Gender Dogma: Polish War with Gender]. Wydawnictwo Naukowe Katedra.
Dziennik Ustaw Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, poz. 175. (2021). Wyrok Trybunału Konstytucyjnego z dnia 22 października 2020 r. sygn. akt K 1/20 [Ruling of the Constitutional Tribunal from October 22, 2020, case no. K 1/20]. https://isap.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/download.xsp/WDU20210000175/O/D20210175.pdf
Eagly, A. H. (1987). Sex differences in social behavior: A social-role interpretation. Psychology Press.
European Parliament. (2020, November 26). Polish de facto ban on abortion puts women’s lives at risk, says Parliament [Press release]. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20201120IPR92132/polish-de-facto-ban-on-abortion-puts-women-s-lives-at-risk-says-parliament
Federico, C. M., & Golec de Zavala, A. (2018). Collective narcissism and the 2016 US presidential vote. Public Opinion Quarterly, 82(1), 110–121. https://doi.org/10.1093/poq/nfx048
Folvarčný, A., & Kopeček, L. (2020). Which conservatism? The identity of the Polish Law and Justice party. Politics in Central Europe, 16(1), 159–188. https://doi.org/10.2478/pce-2020-0008
Fromm, E. (1973). The anatomy of human destructiveness. Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
Gauriat, V. (2021, February 12). The unheard pain of abortion in Poland. Euronews. https://www.euronews.com/2021/02/12/the-unheard-pain-of-abortion-in-poland
Gera, V. (2020, October 30). Why an abortion law ruling triggered mass protests in Poland. Associated Press News. https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-poland-abortion-courts-europe-2f99633e9c504b302855ea9848037cb2
Gilmore, L., Campbell, J., & Cuskelly, M. (2003). Developmental expectations, personality stereotypes, and attitudes towards inclusive education: Community and teacher views of Down syndrome. International Journal of Disability, Development, and Education, 50(1), 65–76. https://doi.org/10.1080/1034912032000053340
Glick, P., Diebold, J., Bailey-Werner, B., & Zhu, L. (1997). The two faces of Adam: Ambivalent sexism and polarized attitudes toward women. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 23(12), 1323–1334. https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672972312009
Glick, P., & Fiske, S. T. (1996). The ambivalent sexism inventory: Differentiating hostile and benevolent sexism. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 70, 491–512. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.70.3.491
Glick, P., & Fiske, S. T. (1997). Hostile and benevolent sexism: Measuring ambivalent sexist attitudes toward women. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 21, 119–135. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-6402.1997.tb00104.x
Glick, P., & Fiske, S. T. (2001a). An ambivalent alliance: Hostile and benevolent sexism as complementary justifications for gender inequality. American Psychologist, 56(2), 109–118. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.56.2.109
Glick, P., & Fiske, S. T. (2001b). Ambivalent stereotypes as legitimizing ideologies: Differentiating paternalistic and envious prejudice. In J. T. Jost & B. Major (Eds.), The psychology of legitimacy: Emerging perspectives on ideology, justice, and intergroup relations (pp. 278–306). Cambridge University Press.
Glick, P., Fiske, S. T., Mladinic, A., Saiz, J. L., Abrams, D., Masser, B., Adetoun, B., Osagie, J. E., Akande, A., Alao, A., Annetje, B., Willemsen, T. M., Chipeta, K., Dardenne, B., Dijksterhuis, A., Wigboldus, D., Eckes, T., Six-Materna, I., Expósito, F., ... López, W. L. (2000). Beyond prejudice as simple antipathy: Hostile and benevolent sexism across cultures. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79(5), 763–775. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.79.5.763
Gliszczyńska-Grabias, A., & Sadurski, W. (2021). The judgment that wasn’t (but which nearly brought Poland to a standstill): ‘Judgment’ of the Polish Constitutional Tribunal of 22 October 2020, K1/20. European Constitutional Law Review, 17(1), 130–153. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1574019621000067
Golec de Zavala, A., & Bierwiaczonek, K. (2021). Male, national, and religious collective narcissism predict sexism. Sex Roles, 84(11), 680–700. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-020-01193-3
Golec de Zavala, A., & Cichocka, A. (2012). Collective narcissism and anti-Semitism in Poland. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 15(2), 213–229. https://doi.org/10.1177/1368430211420891
Golec de Zavala, A., Cichocka, A., & Bilewicz, M. (2013a). The paradox of in-group love: Differentiating collective narcissism advances understanding of the relationship between in-group and out-group attitudes. Journal of Personality, 81(1), 16–28. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.2012.00779.x
Golec de Zavala, A., Cichocka, A., & Iskra-Golec, I. (2013b). Collective narcissism moderates the effect of in-group image threat on intergroup hostility. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 104(6), 1019–1039. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0032215
Golec de Zavala, A., Cichocka, A., Eidelson, R., & Jayawickreme, N. (2009). Collective narcissism and its social consequences. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 97(6), 1074–1096. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0016904
Golec de Zavala, A., Dyduch-Hazar, K., & Lantos, D. (2019). Collective narcissism: Political consequences of investing self-worth in the ingroup’s image. Political Psychology, 40(S1), 37–74. https://doi.org/10.1111/pops.12569
Golec de Zavala, A., Federico, C. M., Sedikides, C., Guerra, R., Lantos, D., Mroziński, B., & Baran, T. (2020). Low self-esteem predicts out-group derogation via collective narcissism, but this relationship is obscured by in-group satisfaction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 119(3), 741–764. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000260
Golec de Zavala, A., Guerra, R., & Simão, C. (2017). The relationship between the Brexit vote and individual predictors of prejudice: Collective narcissism, right wing authoritarianism, social dominance orientation. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 2023. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02023
Golec de Zavala, A., & Keenan, O. (2021). Collective narcissism as a framework for understanding populism. Journal of Theoretical Social Psychology, 5(2), 54–64. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts5.69
Golec de Zavala, A., & Lantos, D. (2020). Collective narcissism and its social consequences: The bad and the ugly. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 29(3), 273–278. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721420917703
Górska, P., Stefaniak, A., Malinowska, K., Lipowska, K., Marchlewska, M., Budziszewska, M., & Maciantowicz, O. (2020). Too great to act in solidarity: The negative relationship between collective narcissism and solidarity-based collective action. European Journal of Social Psychology, 50(3), 561–578. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2638
Górska, P., Stefaniak, A., Marchlewska, M., Matera, J., Kocyba, P., Łukianow, M., & Lipowska, K. (2022). Refugees unwelcome: Narcissistic and secure national commitment differentially predict collective action against immigrants and refugees. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 86, 258–271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2021.11.009
Graff, A. (2009). Gender, sexuality, and nation – here and now: Reflections on the gendered and sexualized aspects of contemporary Polish nationalism. In E. H. Oleksy (Ed.), Intimate citizenship (pp. 143–156). Routledge.
Graff, A. (2014). Report from the gender trenches: War against ‘genderism’ in Poland. European Journal of Women’s Studies, 21, 431–435. https://doi.org/10.1177/1350506814546091
Graff, A., & Korolczuk, E. (2022). Anti-gender politics in the populist moment. Taylor & Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003133520
Hayes, A. F. (2018). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
Heinemann, W. (1990). Meeting the handicapped: A case of affective–cognitive inconsistency. European Review of Social Psychology, 1, 323–338. https://doi.org/10.1080/14792779108401866
Hryciuk, R. E., & Korolczuk, E. (Eds.). (2012). Pożegnanie z Matką Polką? Dyskursy, praktyki i reprezentacje macierzyństwa we współczesnej Polsce [Farewell to the Polish mother? Discourses, practices, and representations of motherhood in contemporary Poland]. Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego. https://doi.org/10.31338/uw.9788323511175
Human Rights Watch. (2020, October 22). Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal rolls back reproductive rights [Press release]. https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/10/22/polands-constitutional-tribunal-rolls-back-reproductive-rights
Imbierowicz, A. (2012). The Polish mother on the defensive? The transformation of the myth and its impact on the motherhood of Polish women. The Journal of Education Culture and Society, 3(1), 140–153. https://doi.org/10.15503/jecs20121.140.153
Jonason, P. K., Zajenkowski, M., Szymaniak, K., & Leniarska, M. (2022). Attitudes towards Poland’s ban on abortion: Religiousness, morality, and situational affordances. Personality and Individual Differences, 184, 111229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2021.111229
Katz, J., & Tirone, V. (2015). From the agency line to the picket line: Neoliberal ideals, sexual realities, and arguments about abortion in the US. Sex Roles, 73(7), 311–318. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-015-0475-z
Kaźmierczak, Ł. (2013). Czy jest pan za aborcją? [Are you in favor of abortion?]. Przewodnik Katolicki. https://www.przewodnik-katolicki.pl/Archiwum/2013/Przewodnik-Katolicki-38-2013/Spoleczenstwo/Czy-jest-pan-za-aborcja
Kimport, K., & Littlejohn, K. E. (2021). What are we forgetting? Sexuality, sex, and embodiment in abortion research. The Journal of Sex Research, 58(7), 863–873. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2021.1925620
Kleck, R., Ono, H., & Hastorf, A. H. (1966). The effects of physical deviance upon face-to-face interaction. Human Relations, 19(4), 425–436. https://doi.org/10.1177/001872676601900406
Korolczuk, E. (2016). Explaining mass protests against abortion ban in Poland: The power of connective action. Zoon Politikon, 7(7), 91–113.
Korolczuk, E., & Graff, A. (2018). Gender as “Ebola from Brussels”: The anticolonial frame and the rise of illiberal populism. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 43(4), 797–821. https://doi.org/10.1086/696691
Kowalski, J., Marchlewska, M., Molenda, Z., Górska, P., & Gawęda, Ł. (2020) Adherence to safety and self-isolation guidelines, conspiracy and paranoia-like beliefs during COVID-19 pandemic in Poland - associations and moderators. Psychiatry Research, 294, 113540. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113540
Leach, C. W., van Zomeren, M., Zebel, S., Vliek, M. L. W., Pennekamp, S. F., Doosje, B., & Spears, R. (2008). Group-level self-definition and self-investment: A hierarchical (multicomponent) model of in-group identification. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95(1), 144–165. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.95.1.144
Łowicki, P., Marchlewska, M., Molenda, Z., Karakula, A., & Szczepańska, D. (2022). Does religion predict coronavirus conspiracy beliefs? Centrality of religiosity, religious fundamentalism, and COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs. Personality and Individual Differences, 187, 111413. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2021.111413
Marchlewska, M., Cichocka, A., Furman, A., & Cislak, A. (2021a). Who respects the will of the people? Support for democracy is linked to high secure national identity but low national narcissism. British Journal of Social Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12499
Marchlewska, M., Cichocka, A., Jaworska, M., Golec de Zavala, A., & Bilewicz, M. (2020). Superficial ingroup love? Collective narcissism predicts ingroup image defense, outgroup prejudice, and lower ingroup loyalty. British Journal of Social Psychology, 59(4), 857–875. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12367
Marchlewska, M., Cichocka, A., Łozowski, F., Górska, P., & Winiewski, M. (2019). In search of an imaginary enemy: Catholic collective narcissism and the endorsement of gender conspiracy beliefs. The Journal of Social Psychology, 159(6), 766–779. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224545.2019.1586637
Marchlewska, M., Cichocka, A., Panayiotou, O., Castellanos, K., & Batayneh, J. (2018). Populism as identity politics: Perceived in-group disadvantage, collective narcissism, and support for populism. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 9(2), 151–162. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550617732393
Marchlewska, M., Górska, P., Malinowska, M., & Kowalski, J. (2021b). Threatened Masculinity: Gender-related collective narcissism predicts prejudice toward gay and lesbian people among heterosexual men in Poland. Journal of Homosexuality. https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2021.1907067
Marchlewska, M., Rogoza, M., Górska, P. (2022). So different yet so alike: Political collective narcissism predicts blatant dehumanization among conservatives and liberals. [Manuscript in preparation]. Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences.
Mikołajczak, M., & Pietrzak, J. (2014). Ambivalent sexism and religion: Connected through values. Sex Roles, 70(9–10), 387–399. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-014-0379-3
Molenda, Z., Marchlewska, M., Rogoza, M., Michalski, P., Górska, P., Szczepańska, D., & Cislak, A. (2021). What makes an Internet troll? On the relationships between temperament (BIS/BAS), Dark Triad and Internet trolling [Manuscript submitted for publication]. Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences.
Renzetti, C. M., Lynch, K. R., & DeWall, C. N. (2018). Ambivalent sexism, alcohol use, and intimate partner violence perpetration. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 33(2), 183–210. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260515604412
Raskin, R. N., & Hall, C. S. (1979). A narcissistic personality inventory. Psychological Reports, 45(2), 590. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1979.45.2.590
Raskin, R., & Terry, H. (1988). A principal-components analysis of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory and further evidence of its construct validity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54(5), 890.
Rodríguez, N. D., Mateo, E. A., Rodríguez, V. B., & Rodríguez-Pérez, A. (2018). Confianza y ansiedad intergrupal: Los dos lados del estigma hacia las personas con síndrome de Down [Intergroup trust and anxiety: The two sides of stigma towards people with Down syndrome]. Anales De Psicología, 34(1), 117–122. https://doi.org/10.6018/analesps.34.1.267311
Rogoza, R., & Danieluk, B. (2021). Linking adolescent and adult narcissism research: A contribution by the Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Concept. Journal of Research in Personality, 93, 104129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2021.104129
Sirlopú, D., González, R., Bohner, G., Siebler, F., Ordónez, G., Millar, A., & De Tezanos-Pinto, P. (2008). Promoting positive attitudes toward people with Down syndrome: The benefit of school inclusion programs. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 38(11), 2710–2736. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2008.00411.x
Szczepańska, D., & Marchlewska, M. (in press). Unfree to speak and forced to hate? The phenomenon of the “All-Poland Women’s Strike”. In C. Strippel, S. Paasch-Colberg, M. Emmer, & J. Trebbe (Eds.), Challenges and perspectives of hate speech analysis: An interdisciplinary anthology. Digital Communication Research.
Werner, S. (2015). Public stigma in intellectual disability: Do direct versus indirect questions make a difference? Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 59(10), 958–969. https://doi.org/10.1111/jir.12207
Wurst, S. N., Gerlach, T. M., Dufner, M., Rauthmann, J. F., Grosz, M. P., Küfner, A. C. P., & Back, M. D. (2017). Narcissism and romantic relationships: The differential impact of narcissistic admiration and rivalry. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 112(2), 280–306. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000113
Funding
This work was supported by the Polish National Science Center (grant numbers 2019/35/B/HS6/00123 and 2017/26/M/HS6/00689) and Norface Democratic Governance in a Turbulent Age Research Programme (project Threat, identity, and dissent: Understanding and addressing political polarization in European democracies is financially supported by the NORFACE Joint Research Programme on Democratic Governance in a Turbulent Age and co-funded by National Science Centre, Poland and the European Commission through Horizon 2020 under grant agreement No 822166).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
All authors contributed to the study conception and design, as well as material preparation and data collection. The initial analysis was performed by Adam Karakula, Marta Marchlewska, and Zuzanna Molenda, the re-analysis was carried out by Marta Rogoza and Zuzanna Molenda, and the analyses presented in the online supplement were done by Paulina Górska. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Dagmara Szczepańska, Adam Karakula, and Marta Marchlewska. All authors reviewed and edited previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. All authors certify that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest or non-financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Supplementary Information
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Szczepańska, D., Marchlewska, M., Karakula, A. et al. Dedicated to Nation but Against Women? National Narcissism Predicts Support for Anti-Abortion Laws in Poland. Sex Roles 87, 99–115 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-022-01303-3
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-022-01303-3