Psychometric examination and normative data for the narcissistic personality inventory 29 item version

Scand J Psychol. 2009 Apr;50(2):151-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9450.2008.00686.x.

Abstract

The Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) is commonly used in empirical studies of narcissism. Few population-based studies have been published. Our aim was to do a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the NPI 29 item version with a four-factor structure, in two population-based samples and in a patient sample, and present normative population-based data. The NPI-29 was filled in by 324 respondents from the Norwegian population, 231 from the Swedish population and 167 Norwegian psychiatric patients. The four-factor structure of the NPI-29 with Leadership/Power, Exhibitionism/Self-admiration, Superiority/Arrogance and Uniqueness/Entitlement was reproduced in these samples. The CFA models showed good fit indices in all samples. Mean scores on the NPI-29 and four subscales hardly differed between the samples. For the NPI-29 total score and factors, few significant differences were observed. CFA of the samples supported the factor structure of the NPI-29 formerly identified by principal component analysis of the Swedish population sample.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Age Distribution
  • Aged
  • Cross-Cultural Comparison
  • Factor Analysis, Statistical
  • Feasibility Studies
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Narcissism
  • Norway / epidemiology
  • Personality Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Personality Disorders / epidemiology*
  • Personality Inventory / statistics & numerical data*
  • Population Surveillance
  • Principal Component Analysis
  • Psychometrics / methods*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Sweden
  • Young Adult