Rivalry negatively predicts forgiveness: Polish adaptation of the Trait Forgiveness Scale and longitudinal associations with the narcissistic admiration and rivalry concept

Abstract

Narcissism, a core component of the Dark Tetrad, is known for its antagonistic social manifestations, yet its bifurcation into admiration and rivalry provides a more refined lens on interpersonal functioning. This study investigates how these dimensions relate to trait forgiveness—a dispositional tendency to respond to interpersonal transgressions with benevolence—over time. A three-wave cross-lagged panel model spanning three-month intervals was employed with a non-clinical Polish sample (N = 170). Prior to hypothesis testing, the Trait Forgiveness Scale (TFS) was adapted and psychometrically validated in a separate Polish-speaking sample (N = 386), demonstrating satisfactory internal consistency and providing evidence of convergent validity. Longitudinal results showed that narcissistic rivalry consistently predicted lower trait forgiveness, establishing it as a stable relational risk factor. Narcissistic admiration, while not predictive of forgiveness, was associated with an increase in rivalry over time. These findings underscore the divergent social pathways of narcissistic subdimensions, highlighting rivalry's obstructive role in conciliatory behavior and the complex temporal dynamics between admiration and antagonism. The study also contributes a culturally adapted forgiveness measure suitable for Polish-speaking populations.