An MMPI Description of the Narcissistic Personality

Abstract

This study developed a Minnesota Multiphase Personality Inventory (MMPI) description of the narcissistic personality in a nonclinical population. The Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) and the MMPI were administered to two samples of 57 and 173 subjects. A correlational analysis produced a cross-validated positive relationship between narcissism and MMPI mania (Ma) and cross-validated negative relationships between narcissim and MMPI depression (D), psychasthenia (Pt), social introversion (SO, anxiety (A), repression (R), and ego control (Ec). A correlational analysis of the 7-factor components of the NPI (Authority, Exhibitionism, Superiority, Vanity, Exploitativeness, Entitlement, and Self-Sufficiency) and the MMPI validity, clinical, commonly scored, and content scales suggests that the seven NPI components reflect different levels of psychological maladjustment. Narcissistic Entitlement and Exploitativeness reflect the most maladjustment, whereas narcissistic Authority reflects the least maladjustment. In addition, a profile analysis of the high NPI scorers suggest that a 98/89 MMPI profile with an elevated F score is most representative of the narcissistic personality in nonclinical samples.