(1 of 2) Mapping Neuroticism and Narcissism in Academic Settings: A Causal Loop Approach to Student Behavior and Mental Health

Here is the part 2 of 2: Part 2 of 2 : https://lnkd.in/g2qWGDy2        

Disclaimer and Disclosure:

Disclaimer: The narrative presented in this chapter is purely hypothetical and is intended for educational purposes only. It does not reflect any real individuals, institutions, or events. Any similarities to actual persons or situations are entirely coincidental.

Disclosure: No confidential or personally identifiable information was used in the creation of this narrative. The case discussed is a composite of common challenges faced in educational environments and serves to illustrate broader principles in classroom management and student behavior.        

What to do when dealing with ungrateful student(s)? May they find their ways to their future themselves. 

We decide however to cherish many others who are grateful and willing to lean together. Thank you: Vino Adrian TSANIA PUTRI SOFLYNA AZZAHRA Astika Lianti Az Zahra Daffa Gayu Faadhilah Nofa Siswati Shafinka Desya Najmaturrahma Baskoro Annisa Hizriani Faudina Praharsiwi Nisa az Zahro Dian Wara Sitaresmi Hapsari Amalia Difa Santosa Dwika Aryaguna Ivan Kartika Sabrina Syifa Gunawan et al (dll)

For the unsung heroes ( pahlawan sesungguhnya) : Prof. Ir. Donny Widianto Ph.D, Dr. Nur Akbar Arofatullah, Daniel Jeans Ricard Silitonga STEI ITB, Nicholas Sidharta ST. MSc, Andersen Tan STEI ITB, Alika Cynthia Clarissa STEI ITB, Richard Mote ST. MSc and Fahimudin Tamash SP - be joyful, remember "Amal yang dibawa mati" which is "ilmu yang bermanfaat". Don't be discouraged by one particular student, masih banyak students yang baik kok dan mereka akan berhasil karenanya.        

Introduction

Teachers often encounter students who, despite showing great potential, may develop patterns of resistance that create challenges in the classroom. Consider a hypothetical case of a student who demonstrated strong qualities in her personality test, such as high extraversion and conscientiousness. Initially, she appeared enthusiastic and deeply committed to her studies. She was also known for her personal discipline, engaging in visible practices that many found praiseworthy. With such promising traits, instructors had high hopes for her academic performance, expecting her empathy and leadership to flourish.

However, as the course progressed, the student began to resist certain structured elements, notably the bootcamp's follow-up classes—both essential components of the learning experience. These sessions were designed to be rigorous yet enjoyable, with rewards, games, and group dinners that created a joyful, interactive environment. The goal was to foster both creativity and discipline. Despite this supportive atmosphere, the student started to disengage, to the disappointment of her instructors, who had hoped she would thrive.

As time went on, her behavior impacted classroom dynamics. She began expressing dissatisfaction with deadlines and participation expectations, which led some classmates to question the value of the course. This behavior raised concerns, particularly given her elevated neuroticism, which is often associated with emotional instability and a tendency to avoid challenging tasks. These tendencies affected her ability to meet academic demands, a common issue in individuals with high neuroticism (Costa & McCrae, 1992, as cited in Tambun, 2024).

Upon further reflection, it became evident that this pattern of resistance had been observed in prior courses. In one instance, she had nearly failed a previous course that utilized certain framework as a primary learning tool. Her strong opposition to this method led to her refusal to participate in assignments, repeating a pattern of disengagement when faced with methods she did not agree with.

Additionally, her communication in digital environments raised further concerns. In her messages to mentors, frustration sometimes manifested in language that could easily be perceived as combative or challenging the institution’s authority. While her frustration may have been understandable, it lacked the empathy expected in professional communication. This disparity between her outward discipline and her confrontational tone created challenges for mentors navigating these interactions.

Example of Digital Communication: In a hypothetical exchange, a message could be perceived as lacking the professionalism typically expected:

"I don’t understand why we have to follow this system. It feels like it's complicating things, never ending task. Most of us take this course only for fulling the grade. We honestly dislike this, not to mention schedules that are very fluid". She addresses this question "you guys".

While understandable as an expression of frustration, such a message can challenge the mentor-mentee dynamic and raises important questions about how such confrontations should be managed.

While it is important to acknowledge that students sometimes express frustration, this kind of direct confrontation can cross into a realm that undermines the learning environment and the mentorship dynamic. It raised serious questions about how to address such behavior in a constructive manner that still upholds academic and institutional standards.

Distinguishing Between Rude Behavior and Mental Health Challenges

It is important to distinguish between rude or entitled behavior and genuine mental health challenges. These behaviors can sometimes overlap, but they stem from different sources and require different approaches. Here are the key distinctions I focus on:

1. Patterns of Behavior: Rude or entitled behavior is often learned, stemming from upbringing or a lack of social training. Individuals who exhibit this behavior typically display self-centeredness, disregard for others, and a lack of accountability. Their behavior tends to remain stable across different contexts and over time. In contrast, individuals with mental health challenges may exhibit rude or socially withdrawn behavior due to emotional distress or cognitive struggles. Their behavior fluctuates, often triggered by stress, trauma, or other emotional states.
2. Intent vs. Symptoms: Rude behavior generally reflects intentional or habitual actions, motivated by self-interest, with little regard for social norms or the impact on others. In contrast, people experiencing mental health issues may not intend to be rude. Their actions—such as irritability or withdrawal—are more likely symptoms of their condition, and they may feel regret or confusion after displaying such behavior.
3. Response to Feedback: Individuals with rude or entitled behavior often resist feedback and justify their actions, showing little interest in changing. They typically lack self-awareness regarding how their behavior negatively affects others. On the other hand, people with mental health challenges are more likely to recognize that their behavior is out of character. When confronted, they may express regret and demonstrate a desire to improve.
4. Environmental Influence: Rude or entitled behavior is usually stable and consistent across different environments, shaped by upbringing and life experiences. It is less likely to change with context. In contrast, people with mental health challenges might behave appropriately in some situations but exhibit inappropriate behavior when emotionally distressed, showing that their behavior is more context-dependent.
5. Emotional Insight and Empathy: Those who exhibit rude or entitled behavior often lack empathy and may disregard the feelings of others, focusing primarily on self-serving goals. Meanwhile, individuals with mental health challenges may struggle to express empathy when overwhelmed, but they often still care about the well-being of others. Once their emotional state stabilizes, they may feel regret for their actions.
6. Impact on Functioning: Rude or entitled individuals often function well in their daily lives, maintaining jobs and relationships despite their behavior. Their rudeness does not necessarily disrupt their ability to manage life’s responsibilities. However, individuals with mental health challenges typically experience significant disruptions in various aspects of life, including relationships, work, and daily responsibilities, as their behavior stems from deeper emotional struggles.
7. Seeking Help or Change: Those who exhibit rude or entitled behavior rarely seek help or attempt to change unless external pressure forces them to do so. In contrast, people with mental health challenges may resist help initially, but they are often more willing to seek support when they recognize that their behavior is connected to their mental health struggles.

Incorporating Narcissism into the Mental Health Framework: Causal Loop Diagram (CLD)

To better understand how narcissistic behavior fits into the broader context of mental health, particularly within the Causal Loop Diagram (CLD) for mental health, several feedback loops and connections become relevant. Narcissism complicates the balance between stress, resilience, and support systems, often perpetuating a cycle of emotional instability and poor stress management.

Stress and Resilience (R1, R2, R3)

Narcissism and Stress: Narcissists often experience high levels of stress due to their constant need for validation and fear of failure, which may lead to Avoidance-Oriented Coping (R3) behaviors like ignoring problems or deflecting responsibility. In the CLD, this connects to distress (negative stress) when they face criticism or a lack of admiration. Narcissists are likely to struggle with genuine resilience (R1) because they avoid confronting challenges directly, reducing their capacity to bounce back from difficulties.

Impact on Biological Stability: Their stress levels may lead to cognitive instability (poor focus, mental clarity) and biological instability (high cortisol levels), which perpetuate their avoidance behaviors. This connection aligns with their difficulty in managing stress, impacting emotional stability as a result of unresolved issues.

Support and Help-Seeking (R2)

Narcissism and Social Support: Narcissists typically struggle with genuine help-seeking behavior because of their belief in self-sufficiency or a lack of trust in others. They may perceive social support as unnecessary, leading to avoidance of help, which feeds into distress. This reluctance to seek help directly interferes with building resilience (R1), as they miss opportunities for genuine growth and adaptation through external assistance.

Positive Locus of Control: Narcissists might exhibit a distorted sense of Positive Locus of Control, believing they can control outcomes through their perceived superiority. However, when faced with reality, they may fall into a negative locus of control, especially when their efforts do not result in the expected validation or admiration.

Perceived Resources and Coping Strategies (B1)

Narcissism and Emotional Regulation: Narcissists often struggle with emotion-oriented coping (self-soothing, regulation), leading to emotional instability. In your CLD, this aligns with reduced ability to manage stress (B1), as they often lack effective coping strategies and instead resort to behaviors that protect their ego rather than solve the underlying problem.

Cultural Assumptions and Family Support (B2)

Cultural and Family Influence: Narcissistic traits may be reinforced through family values and cultural assumptions if the person has been raised in an environment that fosters entitlement or conditional love based on achievements. These assumptions contribute to the development of narcissistic tendencies, impacting their sense of belonging and perceived need for social or family support.

Distress and Suicidal Ideation

Narcissism and Extreme Distress: In extreme cases, narcissists may experience distress when their self-image is severely challenged, leading to suicidal thoughts. The loop showing stress as a balance between demands and resources (in your diagram) becomes highly relevant here, as the narcissist's fragile self-esteem is easily disrupted, leading to emotional breakdowns.

In the context of the CLD, narcissists tend to gravitate toward the R3 loop, where avoidance and distress become recurring patterns. Their tendency to deflect responsibility and avoid facing challenges prevents them from building the resilience necessary to navigate life’s difficulties. At the same time, the R2 loop demonstrates how their reluctance to seek genuine help can create a disconnect between perceived and actual support, reinforcing entitlement and ultimately intensifying emotional instability.

Furthermore, narcissists' difficulties with emotional regulation are captured in the B1 loop, where ineffective coping strategies perpetuate ongoing stress and contribute to a fragile mental state. The role of family and cultural influences (B2) also shapes their behaviors, reinforcing avoidance patterns and limiting their capacity for self-awareness and growth.

Understanding these interconnected loops in the CLD highlights the complexity of addressing narcissism within mental health frameworks, particularly as these traits not only affect the individual but can have far-reaching consequences on their social interactions and relationships. This interconnectedness sets the stage for further exploration of how neuroticism, as seen in the student example, operates within similar feedback loops, influencing both personal behavior and group dynamics.

Personality Traits and Behavioral Inconsistencies

The hypothetical high neuroticism of 68 (the normal one is 40-60) and the mean for the class if 54.94, may be the root of the perceived rude and unstable mentality. Such high neuroticism may not help th rest of hypothetical Big Five personality score of extraversion (82), openness (99), agreeableness (84), and conscientiousness (82). Those may be indeterministic with a perceived behavior that didn’t align with these traits. Despite her openness and extraversion, she rejected new learning methods and withdrew from participation. Her high conscientiousness should have made her more diligent in completing tasks, but her avoidance of homework and deadlines contradicted this as well.

High neuroticism is known to undermine the practical expression of openness and conscientiousness. Emotional instability and anxiety, hallmarks of neuroticism, can override a person’s natural curiosity and conscientiousness in stressful situations. In her case, this means that while she may score high on these traits, the emotional volatility caused by her neuroticism likely dampens her ability to engage with challenging academic tasks. Research indicates that individuals high in neuroticism are more likely to experience stress and difficulty managing adverse situations?(Tambun, 2024). Emotional volatility often overrides their capacity to engage with challenging academic tasks.

The Dynamics of Neuroticism, Openness, and Conscientiousness

When neuroticism is high, as in her case, openness to new experiences and conscientiousness tend to suffer. Neurotic individuals often struggle to regulate their emotions, making them more prone to avoidance when tasks become stressful or difficult. This explains why she resisted participating in the mind-map-heavy course despite her high openness. High openness should indicate a willingness to explore different methods, yet her high neuroticism pushed her to reject anything that triggered discomfort.

Her high neuroticism also explains why she avoided assignments and deadlines. Normally, her high conscientiousness should have driven her to complete tasks on time, but the stress and anxiety induced by her neuroticism interfered with her ability to follow through. Instead of engaging with the course material, she withdrew, allowing her emotional reactions to dictate her actions. This mirrors broader findings where neuroticism negatively correlates with success in demanding environments, such as entrepreneurship, where emotional regulation is key?(Zhao & Seibert, 2006, as cited in Tambun, 2024).

Behavioral Patterns in the Classroom

This emotional instability didn’t only affect her personal academic performance; it also had a ripple effect on the rest of the class. As her resistance to the course structure grew, so did her influence over other students. Her vocal complaints about homework, deadlines, and the mind-mapping approach emboldened several classmates to follow suit. Students who had previously been committed began questioning the value of participation, with some even considering dropping the course.

Her high extraversion and agreeableness made her a natural leader within the group, but rather than using this influence productively, she spread her frustrations, creating a toxic classroom environment. Her inability to regulate her emotions led not only to her own academic decline but also negatively impacted the rest of the students. What began as personal resistance to certain academic tasks snowballed into a broader disruption, destabilizing the classroom environment.

Potential Benefits of Anti-Fragility and Creativity for Well-being for Narcissists

Narcissists can potentially benefit from the?Anti-Fragility Concept?and?Creativity and Productivity for Well-being, but it requires a strategic approach, as there is a real risk that these methods could reinforce their narcissistic tendencies if not carefully managed.

1. Anti-Fragility Concept: Narcissists often perceive stress or failure as threats to their self-image, avoiding situations that expose their vulnerabilities. With the right guidance, however, they can be encouraged to view challenges differently. By helping them understand that vulnerability and learning from mistakes can lead to growth, narcissists might begin to develop resilience. However, the risk is that they could interpret personal growth as further proof of their superiority rather than as part of a balanced process. To mitigate this risk, it is essential to consistently reinforce the importance of humility and growth through failure, rather than allowing them to inflate their ego further.
2. Creativity and Productivity for Well-being: Narcissists crave validation and admiration, and engaging them in creative or productive tasks—such as art, teamwork, or community projects—can direct their need for recognition into positive activities. However, this approach carries the risk of reinforcing their narcissism if not carefully moderated. Structured environments with clear boundaries are essential to help them focus on collaboration and growth, rather than solely seeking admiration. Guiding them toward collective success and ensuring that feedback centers on group contributions can prevent self-centered behavior from dominating the activity.

Careful guidance, structure, and consistent boundaries are crucial in preventing these methods from reinforcing narcissistic tendencies. The focus must remain on balanced growth, humility, and collaboration to ensure positive outcomes.

Conclusion: Addressing High Neuroticism in Academic Settings

This case demonstrates how high neuroticism can disrupt both individual performance and group dynamics, especially when compounded by leadership qualities like extraversion. Despite her high scores in openness and conscientiousness, her neuroticism limited her ability to engage with challenging academic tasks and led to behavior that contradicted her self-perception. Her influence over other students further exacerbated the issue, showing how unchecked neuroticism can have a widespread negative impact in a collaborative learning environment.

Moving forward, it is crucial for educators to recognize the role that neuroticism plays in student behavior. Understanding the dynamics of personality traits in relation to stress and emotional regulation can help in developing better support mechanisms for students, especially those who struggle with high neuroticism. By addressing these issues early, it may be possible to prevent individual frustrations from spiraling into broader disruptions within the classroom.

?REFERENCES:

Tambun, T.?(2024).?Examining neuroticism in university-based accelerator programs and its impact on student success(Manuscript submitted for publication).