Vulnerable and grandiose narcissism under threat: Disparities and similarities

The negative reactions of narcissists to threats to their self-esteem have been documented repeatedly in both empirical studies (e.g., Bushman & Baumeister, 1998) and clinical observations of narcissism (e.g., Kohut, 1971). However, most previous research has focused on grandiose narcissism and directM threats to achievement-related self-esteem, and has overlooked vulnerable narcissism altogether. The goal of this chapter is to present findings concerning reactions of grandiose and vulnerable narcissists to Minterpersonal and achievement-related threats. We present three studies in which grandiose and/or vulnerable narcissism were measured, different types of threats were manipulated, and emotional reactions were measured. The findings of these studies and disparities between vulnerable and grandiose narcissism are discussed.