Initial Construction and Validation of the Pathological Narcissism Inventory

• Published in: Psychological assessment 2009-09, Vol.21 (3), p.365-379
• Main Authors: Pincus, Aaron L, Ansell, Emily B, Pimentel, Claudia A, Cain, Nicole M, Wright, Aidan G. C, Levy, Kenneth N
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Aggression; Aggression - psychology; Biological and medical sciences; Clinical Diagnosis; Discriminant analysis; Empathy; Factor Analysis; Fantasy; Female; Human; Humans; Identity; Interpersonal Relations; Interpersonal Relationship; Inventories; Male; Measures (Individuals); Medical sciences; Narcissism; Narcissistic Personality Disorder; Pathology; Personality; Personality disorders; Personality Disorders - diagnosis; Personality Disorders - psychology; Personality Disorders - therapy; Personality Inventory - statistics & numerical data; Personality Problems; Personality psychology; Principal Component Analysis; Psychological Patterns; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychometrics. Diagnostic aid systems; Psychopathology; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychotherapy; Reproducibility of Results; Self Concept; Self Disclosure; Self Esteem; Self Evaluation (Individuals); Self-Assessment; Shame; Social Behavior; Students - psychology; Suicide; Techniques and methods; Test Construction; Validity; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1040-3590; 1939-134X
• DOI: 10.1037/a0016530

The construct of narcissism is inconsistently defined across clinical theory, social-personality psychology, and psychiatric diagnosis. Two problems were identified that impede integration of research and clinical findings regarding narcissistic personality pathology: (a) ambiguity regarding the assessment of pathological narcissism vs. normal narcissism and (b) insufficient scope of existing narcissism measures. Four studies are presented documenting the initial derivation and validation of the Pathological Narcissism Inventory (PNI). The PNI is a 52-item self-report measure assessing 7 dimensions of pathological narcissism spanning problems with narcissistic grandiosity (Entitlement Rage, Exploitativeness, Grandiose Fantasy, Self-sacrificing Self-enhancement) and narcissistic vulnerability (Contingent Self-esteem, Hiding the Self, Devaluing). The PNI structure was validated via confirmatory factor analysis. The PNI correlated negatively with self-esteem and empathy, and positively with shame, interpersonal distress, aggression, and borderline personality organization. Grandiose PNI scales were associated with vindictive, domineering, intrusive, and overly-nurturant interpersonal problems, and vulnerable PNI scales were associated with cold, socially avoidant, and exploitable interpersonal problems. In a small clinical sample, PNI scales exhibited significant associations with parasuicidal behavior, suicide attempts, homicidal ideation, and several aspects of psychotherapy utilization.