Parallel Syndromes: Two Dimensions of Narcissism and the Facets of Psychopathic Personality in Criminally Involved Individuals

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Parallel Syndromes: Two Dimensions of Narcissism and the Facets of Psychopathic Personality in Criminally Involved Individuals Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment © 2011 American Psychological Association 2011, Vol. 2, No. 2, 113–127 1949-2715/11/$12.00 DOI: 10.1037/a0021870 Parallel Syndromes: Two Dimensions of Narcissism and the Facets of Psychopathic Personality in Criminally Involved Individuals Michelle Schoenleber, Naomi Sadeh, and Edelyn Verona University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign Little research has examined different dimensions of narcissism that may parallel psychopathy facets in criminally involved individuals. In this study, we examined the pattern of relationships between grandiose and vulnerable narcissism, assessed using the Narcissistic Personality Inventory–16 and the Hypersensitive Narcissism Scale, respec- tively, and the four facets of psychopathy (interpersonal, affective, lifestyle, and antisocial) assessed via the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version. As predicted, grandiose and vulnerable narcissism showed differential relationships to psychopathy facets, with gran- diose narcissism relating positively to the interpersonal facet of psychopathy and vulnerable narcissism relating positively to the lifestyle facet of psychopathy. Paralleling existing psychopathy research, vulnerable narcissism showed stronger associations than grandiose narcissism to (a) other forms of psychopathology, including internalizing and substance use disorders, and (b) self- and other-directed aggression, measured with the Life History of Aggression and the Forms of Aggression Questionnaire. Grandiose narcissism was none- theless associated with social dysfunction marked by a manipulative and deceitful inter- personal style and unprovoked aggression. Potentially important implications for uncover- ing etiological pathways and developing treatment interventions for these disorders in externalizing adults are discussed. Keywords: grandiose narcissism, vulnerable narcissism, psychopathy, forensic, aggression In its original Greek form, narcissism re- (e.g., Kernberg, 1975). Thus, individuals scoring flected a perception and presentation of oneself high on grandiose narcissism are poised, self- as superior and worthy of admiration and spe- confident, and exhibitionistic (Wink, 1991). In cial treatment. Current conceptualizations of contrast, those scoring high on vulnerable narcis- and research regarding narcissism, however, sism can be exploitative and entitled, but the hall- have suggested that not all individuals with mark symptoms involve hypersensitivity to criti- narcissism solely display a grandiose sense of cism, fear of rejection, and a fragile self-esteem self (American Psychiatric Association [APA], (Akhtar & Thomson, 1982; Wink, 1991). 2000). Rather, two fairly distinct dimensions of Both narcissism dimensions are currently narcissism seem to exist: grandiose narcissism embedded in narcissistic personality disorder as and vulnerable narcissism (e.g., Wink, 1991). a single syndrome (APA, 2000). However, con- Grandiose narcissism refers to the openly arro- flating the grandiose and vulnerable dimensions gant and superior presentation, whereas vulner- is potentially problematic for clinicians because able narcissism is characterized by conflict be- these dimensions may have very distinct func- tween a grandiose and an inferior sense of self tional impairments that require different treat- ment interventions. The empirical evidence on the two dimensions of narcissism is scarce, This article was published Online First March 7, 2011. making it difficult to ascertain the clinical sig- Michelle Schoenleber, Naomi Sadeh, and Edelyn Verona, nificance of the grandiose and vulnerable man- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana– Champaign. ifestations of the disorder. Moreover, the re- We thank Sheriff Walsh, jail staff, and state parole and search that has been conducted on narcissism is county and federal probation offices in Champaign County relatively limited in scope in that it has relied for their assistance. primarily on convenience samples without se- Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Edelyn Verona, Department of Psychology, University of vere functional impairments (e.g., undergradu- Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, 603 East Daniel Street, Cham- ate samples) and measures of narcissism that paign, IL 61820. E-mail: [email protected] mostly assess grandiose traits (e.g., the Narcis- 113 114 SCHOENLEBER, SADEH, AND VERONA sistic Personality Inventory; Bushman et al., suggesting that these disorders may share under- 2009; Pincus et al., 2009). Although these stud- lying vulnerabilities for personality pathology. For ies provide preliminary data, more research instance, psychopathy is a marked by a constella- aimed at delineating the nomological networks tion of interpersonal (e.g., grandiosity, deceitful- of the grandiose and vulnerable dimensions is ness, superficial charm), affective (e.g., shallow needed to begin to understand the clinical rele- affect, callousness, remorselessness), lifestyle vance of these constructs. (e.g., risk taking, irresponsibility, aggressiveness, This distinction between grandiose and vul- unrealistic goals), and antisocial (e.g., criminal nerable narcissism to some extent parallels re- versatility, repeated incarcerations) traits that, like search on primary and secondary variants of narcissism, increase risk for engagement in anti- psychopathy, which have a rich theoretical and social behavior (e.g., Bushman & Baumeister, empirical literature (e.g., Blackburn, 1975; 1998; Cleckley, 1976). Moreover, narcissism and Karpman, 1941; Lykken, 1995; Skeem, Johans- psychopathy converge at the trait level of person- son, Andershed, Kerr, & Louden, 2007). Pri- ality in that both disorders are marked by grandi- mary psychopathy is theorized to stem from a osity, manipulativeness, and callousness (APA, core set of manipulative interpersonal traits and 2000; Hare, 2003) and with the five-factor model deficits in empathy, whereas secondary psy- dimensions of low agreeableness and high extra- chopathy is theorized to develop out of an im- version (e.g., Lynam, 2001; Samuel & Widiger, pulsive–aggressive lifestyle and deficits in emo- 2008). Finally, as described earlier, research has tion regulation (e.g., Hare, 1991). Given the suggested that psychopathy is also multidimen- potential parallels between the narcissism di- sional (Cooke & Michie, 2001; Hare, 2003; mensions and psychopathy variants, applying Hill, Neumann, & Rogers, 2004), with the pri- an established psychopathy framework in the mary and secondary variants of psychopathy study and understanding of grandiose and vul- representing separable etiological pathways to nerable narcissism may be useful. Thus, we the disorder. Unlike with narcissism, however, sought to expand current conceptualizations of extensive research has been conducted to delin- grandiose and vulnerable narcissism by drawing eate the nomological networks associated with on the extensive research literature on psychopa- the primary and secondary dimensions of psy- thy to form and test hypotheses about the narcis- chopathy, making the psychopathy literature a sism dimensions as they manifest in criminally potentially informative framework for examin- involved individuals. Narcissism and psychopathy ing distinctions between grandiose and vulner- have been linked in the literature already, as evi- able narcissism. denced by research on the “dark triad” (i.e., nar- Empirical investigations of the external cor- cissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism; e.g., relates of the primary and secondary dimensions Paulhus & Williams, 2002). In addition, psychop- validate their theoretical distinctions. For in- athy was selected as a theoretical framework for stance, research has indicated that individuals examining narcissism in an externalizing sample with primary psychopathic traits exhibit lower because of symptom overlap among the disorders levels of anxiety, social withdrawal (Skeem et and their respective associations with heightened al., 2007), and emotional reactivity (Blair, risk for aggression and engagement in illegal be- 2005; Kiehl, 2006; Patrick, Bradley, & Lang, havior (Bushman & Baumeister, 1998; Hare, 1993) than those with secondary psychopathic 2003; Edens, Hart, Johnson, Johnson, & Oliver, traits. In contrast, secondary psychopathy is asso- 2000; Jones & Paulhus, 2010). Thus, we sought to ciated with emotional and behavioral dysregula- determine whether using psychopathy as a frame- tion, including increased risk for suicidality, alco- work for understanding narcissism dimensions, hol and substance use disorders, and impulsivity particularly among criminally involved individu- (Lorber, 2004; Patrick, Hicks, Krueger, & Lang, als, is fruitful. 2005; Sellbom & Verona, 2007; Smith & New- man, 1990; Vanman, Mejia, Dawson, Schell, & Using Psychopathy as a Theoretical Raine, 2003; Verona, Hicks, & Patrick, 2005; Framework Verona, Patrick, & Joiner, 2001). In terms of violence, both primary and secondary dimensions Narcissism and psychopathy in forensic sam- of psychopathy have been found to predict reac- ples show both conceptual and empirical overlap, tive violence and aggression (Hart, 1998; Walsh NARCISSISM AND PSYCHOPATHY 115 & Kosson, 2008). However, individuals with nalizing disorders (64.2%, substance use disor- primary psychopathic traits are more likely to der overall; 30.6%, alcohol dependence; 25%, engage in unprovoked, instrumental forms of ag- antisocial personality disorder; Gunderson, gression than those with secondary psychopathic
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