Self-reported narcissism and shame: Testing the defensive self-esteem and continuum hypotheses

Inverse correlations of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) with shame theoretically reflect a defensive self-esteem or a healthier form of narcissism that helps define a continuum of self-functioning. In the present study, the NPI correlated directly with self-esteem; and inverse associations with shame were reduced or eliminated when self-esteem was entered into multiple regressions before the NPI. The defensive self-esteem hypothesis predicts that the NPI and self-esteem should interact in predicting shame, but this did not occur. Other measures of narcissism like the OʹBrien (1987) Multiphasic Narcissism Inventory and the Pseudoautonomy Scale were associated with lower self-esteem and greater shame. Overall, these data supported the hypothesis that self-report measures of narcissism help define a continuum of unhealthy to healthy self-functioning.