Factor Structure and Psychometric Properties of the Pathological Narcissism Inventory Among Chinese University Students

Abstract

The Pathological Narcissism Inventory (PNI) is a multidimensional measure of narcissistic pathology. This study examined the factor structure and psychometric properties of the PNI in a sample of Chinese university students in Hong Kong. Eight hundred and thirty-one students completed an online battery of questionnaires assessing narcissistic pathology, self-esteem, unstable sense of self, and maladaptive self-defense strategies. Results replicated the 7 first-order factors and the 2 second-order factors of the PNI. Each of the 7 first-order factors and the 2 second-order factors had good internal consistency. Preliminary findings also supported the concurrent validity of the PNI. The PNI appeared to be a valid measure of narcissistic pathology among Chinese. Findings of this study suggest that the core pathology of pathological narcissism might involve an inflated sense of self-importance that is not substantiated by actual achievement, and bearing this unsubstantiated sense of self-importance renders narcissists highly susceptible to self-deflation when their narcissistic needs are not met.

The structure of pathological narcissism and its relationships with adult attachment styles: A study of Italian nonclinical and clinical adult participants.

“…Consistent with previous findings (Wright et al, 2010;You et al, 2013), the NG and NV factors were intercorrelated in our study.…”

“…The Italian PNI joins empirically supported Chinese (You, Leung, Lai, & Fu, 2013) and Croatian (Jaksic et al, 2014) translations of the instrument. Our findings confirm and extend previous evidence of the reliability and validity of the PNI.…”

Narcissistic Traits and Explicit Self-Esteem: The Moderating Role of Implicit Self-View

“…Conversely, the relation between NG and self-esteem is less clear. While some studies have showed that NG has positive, though often marginal, associations with explicit self-evaluations (Trzesniewski et al, 2008; Maxwell et al, 2011; Brunell and Fisher, 2014; Crowe et al, 2016), others have found no associations (Pincus et al, 2009; You et al, 2013). As a whole, these studies highlighted that the two narcissistic manifestations show different patterns of association with explicit self-esteem and that individuals with pathological grandiosity traits do not always report inflated view of themselves.…”

“…According to recent findings, we hypothesized that NV and grandiosity would have different patterns of association with explicit self-esteem. Specifically, we hypothesized that vulnerable narcissism would be associated with low explicit self-esteem (Trzesniewski et al, 2008; Maxwell et al, 2011; You et al, 2013; Brunell and Fisher, 2014), regardless of the levels of implicit self-views. Conversely, we hypothesized that implicit self-views would condition explicit self-evaluations in individuals with grandiose narcissistic traits, helping to explain contrasting findings on the relationship between NG and explicit self-esteem (Trzesniewski et al, 2008; Pincus et al, 2009; Maxwell et al, 2011; You et al, 2013; Brunell and Fisher, 2014; Crowe et al, 2016).…”

A Chinese Translation of the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems–Short Circumplex

“…In Chinese society, people who report interpersonal problems might lack adequate social skills and struggle to enact the social norm. Second, it is possible that China's one-child policy, enforced since 1979, might impede the development of valued prosocial skills in Chinese youth because it has greatly reduced the number of people in younger generations who grow up with siblings in their families (You, Leung, Lai, & Fu, 2012). In a review of 200 birth order studies from 1960 to 2010, only children tended to have the highest rates of behavior problems and reported the most selfishness, high need for achievement, and low general need for affiliation (Eckstein et al, 2010).…”