Today's college students are more narcissistic and self-centered than their predecessors, according to a comprehensive new study by five psychologists who worry that the trend could be harmful to personal relationships and American society.

　　"We need to stop endlessly repeating 'You're special' and having children repeat that back," said the study's lead author, Professor Jean Twenge of San Diego State University. "Kids are self-centered enough already."

　　Twenge and her colleagues examined the responses of 16,475 college students nationwide who completed an evaluation called the Narcissistic Personality Inventory test.

　　The standardized inventory, known as the NPI, asks for responses to such statements as "If I ruled the world, it would be a better place," "I think I am a special person" and "I can live my life any way I want to."

　　The researchers describe their study as the largest ever of its type and say students' NPI scores have risen steadily since the current test was introduced in 1982. By 2006, they said, two-thirds of the students had above-average scores, 30 percent more than in 1982.

　　Narcissism can have benefits, said study co-author W. Keith Campbell of the University of Georgia, suggesting it could be useful in meeting new people "or auditioning on 'American Idol.'"

　　"Unfortunately, narcissism can also have very negative consequences for society, including the breakdown of close relationships with others," he said.

　　The study asserts that narcissists "are more likely to have romantic relationships that are short-lived, at risk for infidelity, lack emotional warmth, and to exhibit game-playing, dishonesty, and over-controlling and violent behaviors."

　　美國五位心理學家所做的一項最新綜合研究表明，如今的大學生比過去的大學生更加自戀、自我為中心的思想較嚴重。心理學家擔心，這一趨勢會對人際關系和美國社會產生不良影響。

　　研究報告的主要撰寫人、圣地亞哥州立大學的瓊·特溫吉說：“我們不能總是對孩子們說‘你很特別’之類的話，這會讓他們自我感覺太好，現在的孩子自我為中心的思想已經很嚴重了�！�

　　特溫吉和其他幾位同事對來自全國各地的共16475名大學生進行了一項名為“自戀人格調查”的測試，并對他們所做的回答進行了探究。

　　這項標準化測試(NPI)讓調查對象對如 “如果我能統治世界，我會讓世界變得更好”、“我覺得自己很特別”及“我可以選擇自己喜歡的任何生活方式”等說法做出回應。

　　研究人員稱此項研究為迄今為止同類研究中規模最大的一次。從1982年“自戀人格調查”測試引進以來，接受測試學生的NPI得分一直是穩步升高。據研究人員介紹，截至2006年，三分之二學生的得分超過平均分，比1982年多30%。

　　研究報告撰寫人之一、喬治亞大學的W·凱斯·坎貝爾說，自戀也有一些好處，比如在結識新朋友或“參加‘美國偶像’試鏡”時能起到一定作用。

　　“但不幸的是，自戀也會對社會產生一些十分消極的影響，其中包括導致和他人關系的破裂等�！�

　　此項研究指出，自戀的人“更容易與別人發生短暫的戀情，對愛人不貞、缺乏溫情，此外，他們還比較貪玩、不誠實、控制欲強，還有暴力傾向�！�