Sociologický časopis / Czech Sociological Review 2010, 46(1): 101-124 | DOI: 10.13060/00380288.2010.46.1.04

A Scale Measuring the Intensity of Nonclinical Narcissism: Construction and Findings

František Bartoš
Filozofická fakulta Univerzity Karlovy, Praha

The article informs readers about the construction of a test of narcissism and associated phenomena. The author developed a scale based on a definition from the American Psychiatric Association (DSM IV-TR) and it is intended for use in standardised sociological surveys of non-clinical populations. The author tested it in two surveys: a pilot survey (N=141, snowball sampling) and in a representative survey of the Czech Republic (N=1081, quota sampling). The resulting parameters (17 items, the common factor exhausts 47% of the variance, Cronbach's alfa = 0,926) indicate that the test is more reliable than other instruments used to date (NPI, NPI-16) and owing to its smaller scope is also easy to use in questionnaire surveys. Intensive questioning confirmed the scale's validity and produced results that correspond with the findings of psychologists focusing on this issue. The author inductively arrived at an auxiliary typology of narcissism. In the text he distinguishes between voluntary and involuntary narcissists, the characteristics of which are described in literature published to date. The findings presented in the article support the view of cognitive psychologists (e.g. J. Beck) who interpret narcissism as a 'defective cognitive scheme'. However, given the scope of the phenomenon measured in the Czech Republic (narcissistic features can be observed approximately from the eighth decile), narcissism cannot still be viewed as just a marginal and pathological phenomenon. On the contrary, it is necessary to approach it as a phenomenon that has a strong social aspect and also plays a significant role in how modern society functions. In the Czech population narcissistic features are most often observed among the young generation (aged 18-29), childless, singles and people living in communities with more than 5000 inhabitants. As well as identifying narcissism as a socio-cultural phenomenon the article also demonstrates the relationship between the observed phenomenon and homosexuality.

Keywords: narcissism, scale, social changes, culture, identity, homosexuality.

Published: February 1, 2010Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Bartoš, F. (2010). A Scale Measuring the Intensity of Nonclinical Narcissism: Construction and Findings. Sociologický časopis / Czech Sociological Review, 46(1), 101-124. doi: 10.13060/00380288.2010.46.1.04.
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Ames, D. R., P. Rose, C. P. Anderson. 2006. "The NPI-16 as a Short Measure of Narcissism." Journal of Research in Personality 40 (4): 440-450. Go to original source...
    2. Břicháček, V. 1978. Úvod do psychologického škálování. Bratislava: Psychologické a didaktické testy.
    3. Bushman, B. J., R. F. Baumeister. 1998. "Threatened Egoism, Narcissism, Self-esteem, and Direct and Displaced Aggression: Does Self-Love or Self-Hate Lead to Violence?" Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 75 (1): 219-229. Go to original source...
    4. Buss, D. M., L. M. Chiodo. 1991. "Narcissistic Acts in Everyday Life." Journal of Personality 59 (2): 179-215. Go to original source...
    5. Brunell, A. B., W. A. Gentry, W. K. Campbell, B. J. Hoffman, K. W. Kuhnert, K. G. DeMarree. 2008. "Leader Emergence: The Case of the Narcissistic Leader." Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 34 (12): 1663-1676. Go to original source...
    6. Campbell, W. K. 1999. "Narcissism and Romantic Attraction." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 77 (6): 1254-1270. Go to original source...
    7. Campbell, J. D., S. Assanand, A. Di Paula. 2003. "The Structure of the Self-Concept and Its Relation to Psychological Adjustment." Journal of Personality 71 (1): 115-140. Go to original source...
    8. Campbell, W. K., A. M. Bonacci, J. Shelton, J. J. Exline, B. J. Bushman. 2004. "Psychological Entitlement: Interpersonal Consequences and Validation of New Self-Report Measure." Journal of Personality Assessment 83 (1): 29-45. Go to original source...
    9. Campbell, K. W., C. P. Bush, A. B. Brunell, J. Shelton. 2005. "Understanding the Social Costs of Narcissism: The Case of the Tragedy of the Commons." Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 31 (10): 1358-1368. Go to original source...
    10. Campbell, W. K., A. S. Goodie, J. D. Foster. 2004. "Narcissism, Confidence, and Risk Attitude." Journal of Behavioral Decision Making 17 (4): 297-311. Go to original source...
    11. DSM-IV-TR. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 2003. Washington: American Psychiatric Association.
    12. Ellis, H. (1898) 1915. Affirmations. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
    13. Emmons, R. A. 1984. "Factor Analysis and Construct Validity of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory." Journal of Personality Assessment 48 (3): 291-300. Go to original source...
    14. Freud, S. 1919. Totem and Taboo. London: Routledge. Go to original source...
    15. Freud, S. (1914) 1957. "On Narcissism: An Introduction." Pp. 73-102 in Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud. Vol. 14. London: Hogarth Press.
    16. Fromm, E. 2000. Lidské srdce. Praha: Simon and Simon Publishers.
    17. Gabriel, M. T., J. W. Critelli, J. S. Ee. 1994. "Narcissistic Illusions in Self-Evaluations of Intelligence and Attractiveness." Journal of Personality 62 (1): 143-155. Go to original source...
    18. Giddens, A. 1991. Modernity and Self-Identity: Self and Society in the Late Modern Age. Cambridge: Polity Press.
    19. Grayden, C. 1958. "The Relationship between Neurotic Hypochondriasis and Three Personality Variables: Feelings of Being Unloved, Narcissism, and Guilt Feelings." Dissertation Abstracts International 18: 2209-2210.
    20. Harder, D. W. 1979. "The Assessment of Ambitious-Narcissistic Character Style with Three Projective Tests: The Early Memories, T. A. T., and Rorschach." Journal of Personality Assessment 43 (1): 23-33. Go to original source...
    21. Hardin, G. 1968. "The Tragedy of the Commons." Science 162 (3859): 1243-1248. Go to original source...
    22. Hendin, H. M., J. M. Cheek. 1997. "Assessing Hypersensitive Narcissism: A Reexamination of Murray´s Narcissism Scale." Journal of Research in Personality 31 (4): 588-599. Go to original source...
    23. Horneyová, K. 2000. Neuróza a lidský růst. Praha: Triton.
    24. Jordan, C. H., S. J. Spencer, M. P. Zanna, E. Hoshino-Browne, J. Correll. 2003. "Secure and Defensive High Self-Esteem." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 85 (5): 969-978. Go to original source...
    25. Kernis, M. H., C. Sun. 1994. "Narcissism and Reactions to Interpersonal Feedback." Journal of Research in Personality 28 (1): 4-13. Go to original source...
    26. Kohut, H. 1971. The Analysis of the Self. New York: International Universities Press.
    27. Kohut, H. 1978-1991. The Search for the Self. Selected Writings of Heinz Kohut: 1950-1981. New York: International Universities Press.
    28. Lasch, C. 1979. The Culture of Narcissism. New York: Warner Books.
    29. Lipovetsky, G. 2003. Éra prázdnoty. Praha: Prostor.
    30. Morf, C. C., F. Rhodewalt. 2001. "Unraveling the Paradoxes of Narcissism: A Dynamic Self-Regulatory Processing Model." Psychological Inquiry 12 (4): 177-196. Go to original source...
    31. Morf, C. C., C. Weir, M. Davidov. 2000. "Narcissism and Intrinsic Motivation: The Role of Goal Congruence." Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 36 (4): 424-438. Go to original source...
    32. Näcke, P. 1899. "Die sexuellen Perversitäten in der Irrenanstalt." Wiener klinischen Rundschau (27-30).
    33. Paulhus, D. L. 1998. "Interpersonal and Intrapsychic Adaptiveness of Trait Self-Enhancement: A Mixed Blessing?" Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 74 (5): 1197-1208. Go to original source...
    34. Raskin, R., H. Terry. 1988. "A Principal-Components Analysis of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory and Further Evidence of Its Construct Validity." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 54 (5): 890-902. Go to original source...
    35. Rhodewalt, F. (ed.). 2008. Personality and Social Behavior. New York: Psychology Press.
    36. Rhodewalt, F., C. C. Morf. 1995. "Self and Interpersonal Correlates of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory." Journal of Research in Personality 29: 1-23. Go to original source...
    37. Robins, R. W., J. S. Beer. 2001. "Positive Illusions about the Self: Short-Term Benefits and Long-term Costs." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 80 (2): 340-352. Go to original source...
    38. Rose, P., W. K. Campbell. 2004. "Greatness Feels Good: A Telic Model of Narcissism and Subjective Well-being." Pp. 1-15 in S. P. Shohov (ed.). Advances in Psychology Research (Vol. 31). Hauppauge, New York: Nova.
    39. Samuel, D. B., Widiger, T. A. 2008. "Convergence of Narcissism Measures From the Perspective of General Personality Functioning." Assessment 15 (3): 364-374. Go to original source...
    40. Sennett, Richard. 2002. The Fall of Public Man. London: Penguin.
    41. Tyl, Jiří. 2005. "Metamorfóza Narcise: z mytologie do psychopatologie, z psychopatologie do dějin." Revue Psychoanalytická psychoterapie 7 (1): 25-39.
    42. Twenge, J. M., S. Konrath, J. D. Foster, W. K. Campbell, B. J. Bushman. 2008. "Egos Inflating Over Time: A Cross-Temporal Meta-Analysis of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory." Journal of Personality 76 (4): 875-901. Go to original source...
    43. Watson, A. 1965. Objects and Objectivity: A Study in the Relationship between Narcissism and Intellectual Subjectivity. Doctoral dissertation. Chicago: The University of Chicago.
    44. Watson, P. J., S. O. Grisham, M. V. Trotter, M. D. Biederman. 1984. "Narcissism and Empathy: Validity Evidence for the Narcissistic Personality Inventory." Journal of Personality Assessment 48 (3): 301-305. Go to original source...
    45. Watson, P. J., R. J. Morris, L. Miller. 1997-1998. "Narcissism and the Self as Continuum: Correlations with Assertiveness and Hypercompetitiveness." Imagination, Cognition, and Personality 17 (3): 249-259. Go to original source...
    46. Wink, P. 1991. "Two Faces of Narcissism." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 61 (4): 590-597. Go to original source...
    47. Zeigler-Hill, V. 2006. "Discrepancies Between Implicit and Explicit Self-Esteem: Implications for Narcissism and Self-Esteem Instability." Journal of Personality 74 (1): 119-144.. Go to original source...

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0), which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content