From Partners’ Narcissism to Breakup Intentions

This study examines how perceived partner narcissism relates to breakup intentions through destructive communication patterns and relationship disillusionment, offering a process-oriented perspective on relationship decline. By integrating personality traits, Gottman’s Four Horsemen, and disillusionment within a single model, it advances prior breakup research that has typically examined these factors in isolation. The findings help therapists and individuals in romantic relationships better identify narcissistic tendencies and destructive communication patterns that foster disillusionment, thereby clarifying relationship dynamics and breakup likelihood, particularly in non-Western cultural contexts.