Fluctuation between grandiose and vulnerable narcissism

Area of Science:

• Clinical Psychology
• Personality Disorders
• Psychopathology

Background:

• Current literature distinguishes between grandiose and vulnerable narcissism.
• The hypothesis of fluctuation between these narcissism subtypes lacks systematic research.
• Clinical experience suggests individuals with narcissistic personality disorder may shift between grandiose and vulnerable presentations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically investigate the fluctuation hypothesis in narcissistic personality disorder.
• To examine whether individuals with grandiose narcissism also exhibit vulnerable narcissism traits, and vice versa.
• To provide empirical evidence for the dynamic interplay between narcissism subtypes.

Main Methods:

• A study involving clinicians and clinical psychology professors identifying 143 individuals with either grandiose or vulnerable narcissism.
• Assessing the degree to which identified individuals displayed traits of the complementary narcissism variant.
• Correlating grandiose and vulnerable narcissism traits with a brief five-factor model measure.

Main Results:

• The study's findings supported the fluctuation hypothesis, particularly for vulnerable narcissism episodes in individuals identified as grandiose narcissists.
• Correlations confirmed established trait descriptions for both grandiose and vulnerable narcissism variants.
• Empirical data suggests a dynamic relationship between the two proposed subtypes of narcissism.

Conclusions:

• The results provide the first systematic evidence for the fluctuation hypothesis in narcissistic personality disorder.
• The findings highlight the potential for individuals with narcissistic personality disorder to present with both grandiose and vulnerable traits.
• Further research is recommended to explore the longitudinal implications and clinical management of fluctuating narcissism subtypes.