Tracking the hypersensitive dimension in narcissism: Reliability and validity of the Hypersensitive Narcissism Scale

Abstract

The aim of the study was to assess the reliability and the validity of the Italian translation of the Hypersensitive Narcissism Scale (HSNS) in a sample of consecutively admitted psychiatric outpatients (N = 366) and in an independent sample of non-clinical volunteers (N = 385). In both samples, data from the HSNS had adequate internal consistency, considering its limited length. Consistent with our hypothesis, a two-factor structure explained the HSNS item intercorrelations. Among clinical participants, the HSNS and the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) showed radically different patterns of correlations with the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) Personality Disorder diagnoses. In both samples, the HSNS and the NPI showed distinct and theoretically consistent correlations with temperament and character dimensions. As a whole, these fi ndings seem to support the reliability and the validity of the HSNS as a measure of hypersensitive narcissism. © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.