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Adolescent Narcissism and the Double Edge of Risk and Adaptation

This study delves into adolescent narcissism, exploring its dual nature as both an adaptation and potential pathology. It examines the development of a new assessment scale and its relationship to risk behavior and adjustment in adolescents. The study highlights the importance of distinguishing healthy narcissism from self-worth issues and separation-individuation struggles.

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Adolescent Narcissism and the Double Edge of Risk and Adaptation

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  1. Adolescent Narcissism and the Double Edge of Risk and Adaptation Daniel K. LapsleyMichael Earley Ball State University O’Dea High School Nathan M. Dumford Miami University SRA 2006 San Francisco

  2. Narcissism has “two faces” • Narcissism as adaptation • narcissism as defensive compensatory stance that helps adolescents cope with sep-ind • narcissism supports self-extension, ambition, creativity, growth • Narcissism as self-pathology or personality disorder

  3. The study of adolescent narcissism requires new assessment strategies Three studies chart development of a theoretically-derived adolescent narcissism scale

  4. Theoretical Considerations Adolescent narcissism emerges for good developmental reasons to cope with self-vulnerabilities that attend separation-individuation subjective omnipotence

  5. Narcissistic omnipotence… …”denotes a defensive and reactive heightening of self-esteem to cope with inner feelings of low self-worth, depressive mood and empty feelings” --Sarnoff (1987)

  6. Study 1 examined relationship between subjective omnipotence (personal fable) and narcissism (NPI) risk behavior internalizing symptoms positive adjustment

  7. Study 1 Participants 222 8th-graders (101 males, Mage = 13.39) 142 10th-graders (72 males, Mage = 15.43) 102 12th-graders (46 males, Mage = 17.45) N = 467

  8. Study 1 • Omnipotence (α = .79) • NPI (α = .83) • Internalizing Symptoms • Children’s Depression Inventory (α = = .86) • CES-D suicidal ideation (α = .86) • Risk Behavior • Rowe: “Delinquent” risk behavior (α = .92) • Substance use (α = =.74) • Positive adjustment • SIQYA: Mastery Coping (α = .76) • SIQYA: Superior Adjustment (α = .70)

  9. Omnipotence • strongly associated with mastery coping and adjustment • counterindicates depression • counterindicates suicidal ideation • converges with NPI narcissism • sex effect (favoring males)

  10. Study 2 • standard scale development procedures yields 33 item scale • EFA • 228 undergraduates • (73 males, Mage = 21.85) • 3 factors retained • scree and parallel analysis criteria • 40% of the variance

  11. Three Factors • Omnipotent Action/Control • “Everybody knows that I am in charge” • 12 items (α = .85) • Omnipotent Leadership • “I would make a great leader because of my abilities” • 13 items (α = .83) • Omnipotent Influence • “I influence how others behave” • 7 items (α = .80)

  12. Other Measures CES-Depression Adolescent Invulnerability Scale Delinquent Risk Behavior

  13. Summary • Omnipotence scales converge with NPI-Narcissism • Omnipotence scales show differential relationship with risk behavior and depressive symptoms

  14. Study 3 Document convergent validity in younger sample (using NPI-C) Distinguish adolescent narcissism from self-worth Explore relationship between narcissism and separation-individuation

  15. Study Details • N = 142 males (Mage) = 16 • Instruments • Adolescent Omnipotence Scale • Action (α = .83) • Leadership (α = .80) • Influence (α = .80) • Narcissistic Personality Inventory-C (α = .86) • Self-Perception Profile (α’s = .53 to .85) • Dysfunctional Separation-Individuation • Self Dysfunctional S-I (α = .68) • Relational Dysfunctional S-I (α = .73) • Self-Image Questionnaire for Young Adolescents • Mastery Coping (α = .76) • Superior Adjustment (α = .79)

  16. Summary • Omnipotence converges with narcissism • omnipotence scales associated with indices of positive adjustment • are related to dysfunctional sep-ind • counterindicate self-worth • in test of means: • younger Ss more feelings of subjective omnipotence than older Ss

  17. General Conclusions • theoretically-derived and reliable measure of adolescent narcissism • factors converge with NPI and NPI-C • predict adolescent risk behavior • counterindicates internalizing affect • positively associated with mastery coping and adjustment • which may be compensatory • association with dysfunctional sep-ind • low scores on several dimensions of self-worth

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