Day by day on display: A daily diary study of narcissists’ social media self-presentation, perceptions of social outcomes, and subjective well-being

Narcissism implies maintaining self-worth through social feedback, yet little is known about how individuals high-vs-low in narcissism experience day-to-day consequences of self-presentation. Using a daily-diary design ( N = 154), we examined whether grandiose and vulnerable narcissism predict social media posting behaviours, perceived social outcomes, and subjective well-being. Narcissistic admiration positively predicted daily self-presentation, positivity, and favourable interpersonal outcomes, whereas narcissistic rivalry or vulnerability predicted poorer outcomes or greater unmet expectations. Vulnerable narcissism predicted lower well-being and amplified the negative impact of unmet relationship-initiation expectations. These findings show that perceived social outcomes are shaped primarily by individuals’ expectations and interpretations rather than posting behaviour, highlighting the importance of unmet interpersonal goals for the well-being of those high in vulnerable narcissism.