Instrumental narcissism in parents.
Instrumental narcissism is a syndrome manifested by parents who feel compelled to transform their infants and young children into geniuses. The parents' effort devalues the child's own abilities and exaggerates the parents' self-perceived magical powers. Various historical and contemporary examples of instrumental narcissism provide the basis for the author's exploration of the syndrome in the context of contemporary clinical discussions of narcissism.
Elkind
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Department of Child Studies, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155.
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002668:Child Rearing; D006801:Humans; D009289:Narcissism; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010553:Personality Development; D011574:Psychoanalytic Theory