title: The Structure of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory With Binary and Rating Scale Items.
abstract: Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) items typically have a forced-choice format, comprising a narcissistic and a nonnarcissistic statement. Recently, some have presented the narcissistic statements and asked individuals to either indicate whether they agree or disagree that the statements are self-descriptive (i.e., a binary response format) or to rate the extent to which they agree or disagree that these statements are self-descriptive on a Likert scale (i.e., a rating response format). The current research demonstrates that when NPI items have a binary or a rating response format, the scale has a bifactor structure (i.e., the items load on a general factor and on 6 specific group factors). Indexes of factor strength suggest that the data are unidimensional enough for the NPI's general factor to be considered a measure of a narcissism latent trait. However, the rating item general factor assessed more narcissism components than the binary item one. The positive correlations of the NPI's general factor, assessed when items have a rating response format, were moderate with self-esteem, strong with a measure of narcissistic grandiosity, and weak with 2 measures of narcissistic vulnerability. Together, the results suggest that using a rating format for items enhances the information provided by the NPI.
authors.affiliation: a Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne , Victoria , Australia.
authors.forename: Jennifer M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Boldero
authors.affiliation: a Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne , Victoria , Australia.
authors.forename: Richard C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.affiliation: a Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne , Victoria , Australia.
authors.forename: Richard C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Davies
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009289:Narcissism; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011594:Psychometrics; D012649:Self Concept; D055815:Young Adult