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Cited by 172Personality Traits and PsychologyPersonality Disorders and PsychopathologyPsychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research

Fluctuation between grandiose and vulnerable narcissism.

Gore, Whitney L., Widiger, Thomas A.·2016·Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment
DOI 10.1037/per0000181
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Abstract

Current literature on narcissistic personality disorder has emphasized a distinction between grandiose and vulnerable narcissism. Some researchers have further suggested that narcissistic persons fluctuate between grandiose and vulnerable narcissism. However, this perception has been confined largely to clinical experience with no systematic research testing the hypothesis. Clinicians and clinical psychology professors in the current study identified 143 persons who fit a description of either a grandiose or a vulnerable narcissist and indicated the extent to which these persons ever demonstrated traits of the complementary variant. The results supported the fluctuation hypothesis, particularly for episodes of vulnerable narcissism in persons identified as a grandiose narcissist. Correlations of the grandiose and vulnerable narcissism traits with a brief five-factor model measure corroborated past trait descriptions of the 2 respective variants of narcissism. The results of the current study are compared with existing cross-sectional and longitudinal research, and suggestions for future research are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record

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  • Some patients with pathological narcissism alternate between grandiose and vulnerable presentation in different sessions.

    “Some patients alternate between grandiose and vulnerable presentation in different sessions (23):”

    From Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Progress in Understanding and Treatment (2022) · cites this paper as [23]

  • Clinical evidence suggests that grandiose narcissism is always accompanied by vulnerable aspects.

    “Clinical evidence suggests that grandiosity is accompanied by vulnerable aspects, pointing to a common foundation.”

    From The Relationship between Grandiose and Vulnerable (Hypersensitive) Narcissism (2017) · cites this paper as Gore and Widiger, 2016

  • Neuroticism is frequently reported to correlate negatively with grandiose narcissism and positively with vulnerable narcissism.

    “Neuroticism is also frequently reported to correlate negatively with grandiose, but positively with vulnerable narcissism (e.g., Miller et al., 2011, 2015; see also Gore and Widiger, 2016).”

    From The Relationship between Grandiose and Vulnerable (Hypersensitive) Narcissism (2017) · cites this paper as Gore and Widiger, 2016

  • In highly narcissistic individuals, grandiose self-states are more likely to be accompanied by vulnerable self-states.

    “This implies that in highly narcissistic individuals, grandiose self-states are more likely to be accompanied by vulnerable self-states (Pincus and Lukowitsky, 2010; Gore and Widiger, 2016).”

    From The Relationship between Grandiose and Vulnerable (Hypersensitive) Narcissism (2017) · cites this paper as Gore and Widiger, 2016

  • These states can fluctuate in the way that grandiose narcissists experience episodes of increased vulnerability and social withdrawal.

    “These states can fluctuate in the way that grandiose narcissists experience episodes of increased vulnerability and social withdrawal (ibid.).”

    From The Relationship between Grandiose and Vulnerable (Hypersensitive) Narcissism (2017) · cites this paper as Gore and Widiger, 2016

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Authors
Gore, W. L., & Widiger, T. A.
Affiliations
University of Kentucky (US)
ORCID
Widiger, Thomas A.
Venue
Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment
Publisher
American Psychological Association (APA)
Published
2016
Volume
7
Issue
4
Pages
363-371
ISSN
  • 1949-2715 (ISSN-L)
  • 1949-2723
DOI
10.1037/per0000181
OpenAlex
W2333911373
Cited by
172
References
42
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 54 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 2
FWCI
16.54
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Personality Disorders Theory Research and Treatment (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Disorders and Psychopathology
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research
Keywords
grandiose narcissism, vulnerable narcissism, narcissistic personality disorder, Big Five personality traits, personality traits
MeSH terms
Adult, Female, Humans, Male, Narcissism, Personality Disorders

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