Narcissism is a personality trait characterized by a strong focus on oneself, a sense of entitlement, and a motivation for self-admiration. It is considered one of the important characteristics in today’s modern society.
Understanding Narcissism: Personality Trait vs. Personality Disorder
In psychology, narcissism can be understood in two ways: first, as a clinical personality disorder, and second, as a personality trait that exists on a broad spectrum within the population.
Narcissism as a Personality Disorder
Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) is characterized by a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, a constant need for admiration, and a lack of empathy. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), a person must display at least five of the following criteria to be diagnosed with NPD:
- A sense of grandeur or self-importance
- Constant fantasizing about unlimited success, power, brilliance, or beauty
- Belief that one is special and unique and can only associate with high-status individuals or groups
- A need for excessive admiration
- A sense of entitlement
- Exploitative interpersonal behavior
- Lack of empathy
- Envy of others or belief that others are envious of them
- Displaying arrogant behaviors
These behaviors must be observable across multiple contexts and lead to significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
Narcissism as a Personality Trait
Beyond clinical diagnosis, narcissism can also be considered as a personality trait, with varying degrees of intensity among individuals, without necessarily reaching the level of a disorder. Traits associated with narcissism can include aspects such as ambition, leadership, desire for attention, selfishness, and a sense of uniqueness. These traits exist along a continuum, allowing researchers to examine different levels of narcissism in the general population.
Unlike Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), the trait of narcissism does not necessarily interfere with everyday functioning or relationships and may even have positive effects in certain contexts. For example, research has shown that certain aspects of narcissism, such as self-confidence, ambition, and leadership, can support career advancement and social influence. Leaders with higher narcissistic traits may possess charisma and assertiveness, which can be beneficial in competitive environments. However, at the extreme end of the spectrum, an excessive focus on self-image may lead to conflicts in relationships and challenges in workplace or social environments.
Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI)
The Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) was created in 1979 by psychologists Robert Raskin and Howard Hall as a tool for assessing narcissistic traits in non-clinical populations. The NPI, inspired by the criteria for Narcissistic Personality Disorder in the DSM-III, was designed to measure narcissistic traits in the general population.
The original questionnaire contained 54 items, which were later refined to a 40-item version, becoming the most commonly used format today. In this inventory, participants choose between two statements that best describe them, helping reduce social desirability bias and encouraging honest responses.
Research has identified several components of narcissism within the NPI, including authority, exhibitionism, superiority, vanity, exploitation, entitlement, and self-sufficiency. These factors highlight various aspects of narcissistic behavior and offer insight into how these traits influence areas such as relationships, leadership, and social interactions.
While the NPI-40 has been a valuable tool in psychological research, its length can be limiting in large-scale studies or situations where brief assessments are preferred. Completing all 40 items can be time-consuming for respondents and may lead to participant fatigue, especially in studies requiring multiple assessments. Additionally, using the full NPI-40 demands more resources, including increased time for data collection and processing, which may not be feasible for larger studies.
To address these issues, researchers have developed shorter versions of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory, such as the NPI-13. The NPI-13, created to maintain accuracy while increasing efficiency, provides a quick and reliable method for assessing narcissism in non-clinical settings.
These shorter versions, such as the NPI-13, retain the key elements of the full version while reducing the number of items. The goal of these shortened versions is to provide a faster and more cost-effective way to measure narcissistic traits without sacrificing accuracy.
Narcissism Test Questions
Please note that there are no question forms. Each question contains two sentences, and you need to choose one of them.
1_
A. I think it is easy to manipulate people.
B. I don’t like to manipulate people.
2_
A. I feel embarrassed when people compliment me.
B. I know I’m a good person because everyone tells me that.
3_
A. I like to have authority over others.
B. I don’t mind following orders.
4_
A. I insist that others respect me.
B. I usually get the respect I deserve.
5_
A. I don’t like to show off my body.
B. I like to show off my body.
6_
A. I have a strong desire for power.
B. Power doesn’t attract me much.
7_
A. I expect a lot from others.
B. I enjoy doing things for others.
8_
A. My body is nothing special.
B. I like to look at my body.
9_
A. Authority doesn’t matter much to me.
B. It seems that people always recognize my authority.
10_
A. I will never be satisfied until I get everything I deserve.
B. I feel satisfied as soon as success comes.
11_
A. I try not to show off.
B. If I get the chance, I usually show off.
12_
A. I am a born leader.
B. Leadership is a quality that takes time to develop.
13_
A. I like to look at myself in the mirror.
B. I don’t have much interest in looking at myself in the mirror.
Suggested article: Beck Depression Inventory
Scoring and Interpretation of the Narcissism Test
For scoring, each selected answer is rated as follows:
A = 0
B = 1
To obtain your total score, sum up the points from all the questions. The total score will range from 0 to 13.
For questions 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 12, and 13, the scoring is reversed, meaning:
A = 1
B = 0
A higher score indicates a higher level of narcissism.
A score of 7 or above can indicate a narcissistic personality.