Correlates of Measures of Adaptive and Pathological Narcissism

Abstract

Social scientists have exhibited increased interest in narcissism in recent years and lively debates and discussion abound about potential narcissism cohort effects and their implications. The most widely used measure of narcissism has been the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI), which has a history of being considered a measure of adaptive, subclinical trait narcissism. However, increasing evidence suggests that the NPI captures elements of both adaptive and maladaptive narcissism. In an attempt to better define the nomological network of narcissism and the boundaries between adaptive and maladaptive narcissism, the current studies included multiple self-report measures of many relevant constructs and also included experimental manipulation and behavioral measures. Analyses conducted on data gathered from two university undergraduate samples (Sample 1, N = 227; Sample 2, N = 148) provided increasing evidence that the NPI does indeed measure some maladaptive or pathological aspects of narcissism. Narcissistic Entitlement, Exploitativeness, and Exhibitionism, as captured by the NPI, were associated with a multitude of negative, maladaptive outcomes (e.g., elements of psychopathy and pathological narcissism, Machiavellianism, and various forms of aggression). Thus, these studies have provided increased clarity regarding narcissism’s nomological network, with special emphasis on maladaptive and pathological elements and associations. The scientific community continues to debate and present competing evidence of possible narcissism cohort effects in recent decades. The current studies have provided increased clarity with respect to one aspect of such debates; if NPI scores have indeed been increasing across recent decades, this is a cause for significant societal concern.