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Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment

Gepubliceerd in:

01-12-2013

Evaluating Self-Report Measures of Narcissistic Entitlement

Auteurs: Robert A. Ackerman, M. Brent Donnellan

Gepubliceerd in: Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment | Uitgave 4/2013

Abstract

The present work further delineates the psychometric properties of two self-report measures of entitlement: the Psychological Entitlement Scale (PES) and the Entitlement/Exploitativeness subscale from the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI-EE). Past research shows that these measures diverge in their relations with psychological distress and self-esteem. We draw upon conceptual distinctions between normal and pathological narcissism to explain these differences. We also provide additional reliability information for each measure. Study 1 (n = 436) uses self-report data on exploitive entitlement, non-exploitive entitlement, and the traits of the Five-Factor Model (FFM) to evaluate the nomological nets of the PES and NPI-EE. Study 2 (n = 497) uses self-report data on self-esteem and antisocial behaviors to evaluate the criterion-related validity of the PES and NPI-EE; it also replicates the Study 1 FFM profile results. Study 3 (n = 142) investigates the test-retest reliability of the PES and NPI-EE (along with estimates of their internal consistencies) across a 2-week interval. The PES had strong retest reliability and showed a pattern of correlates characteristic of grandiosity (e.g., higher levels of antagonism [immodesty in particular]); the PES also had a strong positive association with non-exploitive entitlement and a modest positive association with self-esteem. The NPI-EE captured some features consistent with vulnerability (e.g., links with higher Neuroticism [anger in particular] and somewhat lower self-esteem) and also had adequate retest reliability in light of its internal consistency. Implications for the assessment of narcissistic entitlement are discussed.

vorige artikel Examination of Intelligence as a Compensatory Factor in Non-Criminal Psychopathy in a Non-Incarcerated Sample

volgende artikel The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory: Shadows and Lights on its Construct Validity

A table with the average correlation between the IPIP facets and the NEO PI-R facets within each domain (as well as the range of these correlations) is available from the second author upon request (see also Johnson 2011). Likewise, complete information regarding the means, standard deviations, and average inter-item correlation coefficients for each of the FFM traits and facets can be obtained from the first author upon request.

Because the two Lessard et al. scales correlated to some degree, we also regressed the PES on both the Non-Exploitive and Exploitive Entitlement scales to obtain estimates of the unique relations between these entitlement scales and the PES. Consistent with our other findings, both the Non-Exploitive Entitlement scale (b = 0.64, SE = .07, β = .37, p < .001) and the Exploitive Entitlement scale (b = 0.88, SE = .07, β = .47, p < .001) were positive and significant predictors of the PES.

The one exception to this was the rule-breaking subscale. When rule-breaking was regressed upon the PES and NPI-EE, the NPI-EE was a significant predictor (b = 0.69, SE = .11, β = .30, p < .001) whereas the PES was not (b = 0.00, SE = .02, β = .01, p = .89).

Because some cells for age (as well as ethnicity) had counts with fewer than 5 cases, Fisher’s exact test was used instead of the Pearson Chi-square test.

Although the omnibus test was non-significant, z-tests comparing proportions across both groups showed that a significantly higher proportion of 18-year olds were present in the sample subset that completed both waves (p = .08) relative to the sample subset that completed only the first wave (p = .00).

Additional research (Ackerman et al. 2012) using Item Response Theory analyses has shown that although the Cronbach’s alpha connected with the subscale may be low, the scale is able to discriminate individuals with higher levels of the trait reasonably well.

Item-level analyses that combined data from Studies 1 and 2 showed that although participants with higher scores on this item reported less Modesty (r = −.39) and Morality (r = −.21), they also reported higher Self-Efficacy (r = .18), Assertiveness (r = .18), and Cheerfulness (r = .18), This and all other item-level analyses are available from the first author upon request.

Item-level analyses using combined data from Studies 1 and 2 showed that this item was characterized by lower scores on Morality (r = −.39), Cooperation (r = −.32), and Modesty (r = −.39), along with less Dutifulness (r = −.17), less Cautiousness (r = −.17), and more Anger (r = .20); however, it had no connections with Extraversion (r = .05) or any of its facets (r’s ranged from −.06 to .09), or any other facets of Neuroticism besides Anger (r’s ranged from .01 to .08).

Item-level analyses that combined data from Studies 1 and 2 showed that items 14, 24, and 25 exhibited non-trivial correlations with the broad domain of Neuroticism (rs = .21, .16, and .15, respectively). In addition, although all NPI-EE items were positively correlated with Anger (r’s ranged from .16 to .23), only item 14 exhibited sizeable associations with Anxiety (r = .16), Depression (r = .15), and Vulnerability (r = .19). Thus, future item-level analyses of the NPI-EE may also prove useful.

We thank an anonymous reviewer for this suggestion.

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Titel: Evaluating Self-Report Measures of Narcissistic Entitlement
Auteurs: Robert A. Ackerman
M. Brent Donnellan
Publicatiedatum: 01-12-2013
Uitgeverij: Springer US
Gepubliceerd in: Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment / Uitgave 4/2013
Print ISSN: 0882-2689
Elektronisch ISSN: 1573-3505
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-013-9352-7

Erratum to: Investigating the Factor Structure of the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale in Community and Clinical Samples of the Australian Population

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Evaluating Self-Report Measures of Narcissistic Entitlement

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