a forced-choice self-report instrument commonly used in social psychological research on self-love and egocentrism (i.e.,
narcissism). Although several forms of the NPI exist, each with different numbers of items and different underlying factor structures, the most popular version is that developed in 1988 by psychologists Robert N. Raskin and Howard Terry, consisting of 40 dyadic statements intended to reflect narcissistic sentiments (e.g., “I am embarrassed by compliments” vs. “I enjoy compliments”; “I am average” vs. “I am special”). An individual chooses from each pair of statements the one that best describes them, and the pattern of responses is believed to reveal the degree to which the person possesses each of the following seven characteristics: authority, entitlement, exhibitionism, exploitativeness, self-sufficiency, superiority, and vanity. These traits represent a mix of adaptive and maladaptive attributes that reflect one’s capacity to maintain a positive self-image and sense of personal agency. The original NPI—developed in 1979 by Raskin and U.S. psychologist Calvin S. Hall (1909–1985)—was designed as a research instrument to evaluate individual differences in narcissism in the general (i.e., nonclinical) population. It was not intended, nor are subsequent versions of the NPI intended, as a diagnostic assessment tool for
narcissistic personality disorder.