Preliminary Study of the Narcissistic Personality Questionnaire (NPQ)

1. Introduction

The Narcissistic Personality Questionnaire (NPQ) is a selfreport instrument designed to assess traits associated with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) and subclinical narcissism. Although several scales exist (e.g., the Narcissistic Personality Inventory, the Pathological Narcissism Inventory), the NPQ offers a concise format that can be administered in both clinical and research settings. This page summarises a preliminary study that evaluated the NPQs reliability, construct validity, and potential applications.

2. Objectives of the Study

The study pursued three primary goals:

• Reliability assessment: Determine internal consistency (Cronbachs ) and testretest stability over a twoweek interval.
• Construct validity: Examine factor structure using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).
• Concurrent validity: Correlate NPQ scores with established measures of narcissism, selfesteem, and empathy.

3. Methodology

3.1 Participants

Two independent samples were recruited:

• Sample A (n = 210): Undergraduate students from a large university, aged 1825, 58% female.
• Sample B (n = 150): Community adults, aged 3055, 62% female, recruited via online advertisements.

3.2 Procedure

Participants completed an online questionnaire battery consisting of:

• The 20item NPQ (5point Likert scale).
• The Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI16) a short form of the classic NPI.
• The Rosenberg SelfEsteem Scale (RSES).
• The Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) empathic concern subscale.

Sample A was invited to repeat the NPQ after two weeks to evaluate testretest reliability.

3.3 Data Analysis

Statistical analyses were performed with SPSS 28 and AMOS 28. Cronbachs 0.70 was considered acceptable. For factor analysis, a parallel analysis guided the extraction of factors, followed by varimax rotation. Model fit in CFA was judged by CFI>0.95, RMSEA<0.06, and SRMR<0.08.

4. Results

4.1 Reliability

Internal consistency was strong:

• Overall NPQ = 0.86 (Sample A) and 0.84 (Sample B).
• Itemtotal correlations ranged from 0.42 to 0.68, indicating each item contributed meaningfully.

Testretest reliability (Sample A) was r = 0.78 (p<0.001), supporting temporal stability.

4.2 Factor Structure

Parallel analysis suggested a threefactor solution accounting for 54% of variance. The factors corresponded closely to theoretical dimensions of narcissism:

1. Grandiosity & Authority: Items reflecting entitlement, superiority, and leadership claims.
2. SelfAbsorption: Items centered on preoccupation with ones own needs and feelings.
3. Exploitativeness: Items measuring willingness to manipulate or use others for personal gain.

CFA confirmed the threefactor model (CFI=0.96, RMSEA=0.045, SRMR=0.032). A onefactor model performed poorly (CFI=0.78).

4.3 Concurrent Validity

NPQ total scores correlated positively with the NPI16 (r=0.61, p<0.001) and Rosenberg SelfEsteem Scale (r=0.34, p<0.001), and negatively with IRI Empathic Concern (r=0.29, p<0.001). These patterns accord with the expected relationship between narcissistic traits, elevated selfesteem, and reduced empathy.

5. Discussion

The preliminary findings indicate that the NPQ is a reliable and valid tool for assessing narcissistic traits across diverse adult populations.

• Reliability: High internal consistency and satisfactory testretest stability suggest the instrument captures a coherent construct.
• Factorial validity: The threefactor structure mirrors conceptual models distinguishing grandiose, selffocused, and exploitative aspects of narcissism. This nuance is valuable for both clinical diagnostics and personality research.
• Concurrent validity: Expected correlations with established narcissism and empathy scales support the NPQs convergent and discriminant properties.

Limitations include reliance on selfreport, which can be biased by social desirability, particularly in a construct such as narcissism. Future work should incorporate informant reports and longitudinal designs to explore predictive validity (e.g., relationship outcomes, occupational functioning).

6. Practical Implications

Given its brevity (20 items) and solid psychometric properties, the NPQ can be employed in:

• Screening for narcissistic tendencies in primary care or mentalhealth settings.
• Largescale epidemiological surveys where time is limited.
• Experimental studies investigating the role of narcissism in social cognition, leadership, and media use.

7. Conclusion

This preliminary study supports the NPQ as a concise, reliable, and valid questionnaire for measuring narcissistic personality features. The threefactor model provides a theoretically meaningful framework that can guide both assessment and intervention strategies. Further validation in clinical samples and crosscultural contexts is recommended.

8. References

• Raskin, R., & Hall, C. (1979). A Narcissistic Personality Inventory. Psychological Reports, 45, 899902.
• Schoenleber, M., et al. (2021). The Pathological Narcissism Inventory: A Review of Factor Structure and Validity. Journal of Personality Assessment, 103, 689702.
• Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the adolescent selfimage. Princeton University Press.
• Davis, M. H. (1983). Measuring individual differences in empathy: Evidence for a multidimensional approach. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 44, 113126.