Abstract: Individuals with more narcissistic personalities have relatively consistently shown biased decision-making in the direction of increased risk seeking. Risk preference has also been examined in research paradigm of task frame and magnitude of outcome. But investigation on the narcissists’ risk preference with impact of task frame and magnitude of outcome in decision-making settings is rare at present. Here we explore the function of narcissism on laboratory-based risky tasks concerning loss and gain frames and different magnitude of outcome. Participants were 234 undergraduates (124 females, 110 males, age range from 17 to 23 years, M = 19.26, SD= 1.15) randomly taken from psychology classes in Shaanxi normal university. They were asked to make choice on risk preference tasks involving 28 items under gain or loss frames with small or large magnitude of outcome and fill out Narcissistic Personality Questionnaires and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. The sequence was manipulated across groups according to the experimental design. At the conclusion of the study, the participants received course requirement credits for their participation. Hypothesis was tested using χ2, t and F statistics. The results indicated that (1) framing effects emerged in situations with medium level of risk and below on a relatively regular basis, especially on tasks with great magnitude of outcome; (2) Frame effects were moderated by the magnitude of outcome. Participants in the gain situations demonstrated more willingness to take risks when making decisions for small sums. Conversely, participants facing the loss showed stronger desire to take risks when making decisions for large sums; (3) Reversed framing effects were found for overt/covert narcissism on risk preference in decision making. Overt narcissists tended to be more risky when offered loss message whereas covert narcissists showed more positive attitudes toward risk concerning gain task frame. In addition, risk attitude of covert narcissists were affected by the magnitude of outcomes as well. They probably made more conservative decisions under relatively minimal loss but chose the risky alternatives under small gain conditions. Overall, the current study highlights the magnitude of outcome and risk level for understanding risk preference in different task frames, which tends to broaden the theoretical perspectives on decision making. Framing effects were confined to moderate risky situations and below and would reverse when offered different sizes of losses or gains. Nonetheless, personality factors matter as well, which suggests that both intrinsic and extrinsic factors play a part in shaping individual risky decision. Overt and covert narcissists were distinctive in risk seeking or aversion when provided different decision tasks. These findings are seemingly incompatible with a pure extrinsic explanation for frame effects. Collectively, future research on mechanism is needed to further this area of inquiry.

Key words: overt/covert narcissism, risk preference, task frames, the magnitude of outcome

摘要： 以234名大学生为被试，探讨了任务框架、损益值大小对显性/隐性自恋者风险偏好的影响。结果表明：(1)框架效应较稳定的出现在中等风险水平情境下，且在大损益值条件下更易出现。(2)在获益框架下，被试为小金额决策更冒险，在损失框架下，则为大金额决策更冒险。(3)在损失框架下，高显性自恋者比低显性自恋者更为冒险，在获益框架下，高隐性自恋者比低隐性自恋者更为保守；高隐性自恋者的风险偏好受到任务框架和损益值大小的共同影响。

关键词: 显性\隐性自恋, 风险偏好, 任务框架, 损益值大小