Differentiating narcissism and self-esteem: Comparison of their relationship with self-acceptance

Abstract

This study examined the common and different factors of self-esteem, narcissism, and social phobia from the perspective of self-acceptance. Japanese undergraduates (N = 267) completed a questionnaire that assessed narcissism, social phobic tendency, self-esteem, and self-acceptance. Three aspects of self-acceptance were measured: definite evaluation of self-features, self-acceptance for each features of the self, and subjective estimation of their own self-acceptance evaluations by others. The results showed that definite evaluation and selfacceptance evaluations were related positively to narcissism and self-esteem. However, the relation between narcissism and self-acceptance evaluations was not significant when controlled for the effect of definite evaluation of self-features. In addition, social phobic tendency was negatively related to definite evaluation and selfacceptance evaluations. These results implied that self-acceptance evaluation was an important factor that explains the common and different factors of self-esteem, narcissism, and social phobia.