A new study published in the Journal of Personality suggests that having a highly narcissistic and antagonistic partner is associated with lower overall relationship satisfaction. Yet, this personality trait does not necessarily cause satisfaction to drop at a faster rate over time. The findings challenge the popular idea that romantic relationships with narcissistic individuals start off incredibly satisfying before inevitably crashing into dysfunction. Scientists Gwendolyn Seidman and William J. Chopik conducted this research to better understand how specific traits associated with narcissism affect romantic relationships over long periods. Narcissism is a personality trait characterized by an inflated sense of self-importance and a deep need for excessive attention. “Most of the research on narcissism focuses on the narcissistic partner themselves. However, many theories on why narcissism is interpersonally harmful emphasize its potential effects on narcissists’ partners, not just the narcissists themselves. This study documents how these traits could affect both partners’ relationship satisfaction over time,” said study author Gwendolyn Seidman, an associate professor of psychology at Michigan State University. “These theories also focus on differences between …