Narcissism: its function in modulating self-conscious emotions

• Published in: Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic Vol. 76; no. 3; p. 211
• Main Authors: Uji, Masayo, Nagata, Toshiaki, Kitamura, Toshinori
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 2012
• Subjects: Achievement; Adolescent; Defense Mechanisms; Depressive Disorder - diagnosis; Depressive Disorder - psychology; Depressive Disorder - therapy; Emotions; Female; Guilt; Humans; Internal-External Control; Male; Models, Psychological; Narcissism; Object Attachment; Personality Inventory - statistics & numerical data; Psychoanalytic Theory; Psychoanalytic Therapy; Psychometrics; Self Concept; Shame; Students - psychology; Suicidal Ideation; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1943-2828
• DOI: 10.1521/bumc.2012.76.3.211

This study focused on the functional aspects of narcissism in regulating self-conscious emotions (guilt, shame, hubristic pride, and achievement-oriented pride) as well as two other attribution styles (externalization and detachment). The authors investigated Japanese university students (N = 452) with regard to their self-conscious emotions using the Test of Self-Conscious Affect-3 (TOSCA-3) and their narcissistic personality using the short version of Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI-S). Structural equation modeling was used for the analysis. The authors found that narcissism led individuals to feel achievement-oriented pride, hubristic pride, externalization, and detachment, but inhibited feelings of shame. It did not have a significant effect on guilt. Shame-proneness prompted hubristic pride and externalization. Guilt-proneness inclined an individual toward achievement-oriented pride, but deterred externalization. In this article, the authors present and interpret these results in detail and then discuss how they can be utilized in psychotherapy.