Network Analysis Reveals How Overt Narcissism and Status Motivation Shape Prosocial Ris k-Taking in Medical Students

Exhibitionist narcissism is related to status motivation and prosocial risk-taking behaviour. However, it remains unclear how different types of narcissism influence the specific features of prosocial risk-taking behaviour, and whether status motivation plays a mediating role between exhibitionist narcissism and these features. We employed network analysis to investigate the structure of narcissism, as well as the complex interactions among different types of status motivation and the features of prosocial risk-taking behaviour. This study included 691 medical students as participants. The results showed a significant positive correlation between exhibitionist narcissism and prosocial risk-taking behaviour. Further network analysis revealed a complex pattern of associations among the variables, identifying the node of "striving for group importance" within status motivation as occupying a central position in connecting exhibitionist narcissism with prosocial risk-taking behaviour. The conclusions of this study not only provide empirical evidence for understanding the psychological motivational mechanisms underlying prosocial risk-taking behaviour among medical students but also offer theoretical references for the targeted cultivation of their professional character. Simultaneously, it emphasises the importance of transforming the status pursuit of exhibitionist narcissists into prosocial tendencies driven by professional responsibility.