Vulnerable narcissism (VN), a central construct in Kohutian self-psychology, lags behind grandiose narcissism in the empirical research literature, yet a growing body of evidence suggests important implications for VN in relation to mental health and psychosocial functioning. Recent empirical research in the field of positive psychology has found negative associations between VN and the relational virtues of forgiveness and humility, while other studies have supported Kohut's theorized connection between VN and depression. The current study tested a proposed theoretical model of the relations between VN and (a) interpersonal forgiveness, (b) humility, and (c) depression with differentiation of self (DoS) as a mediator of the effects in a sample of graduate students in the helping professions (N ϭ 162) at a Protestant-affiliated university in the United States. VN was operationalized based on Self Psychology and utilizing measures of (a) idealization needs, (b) goal instability, and (c) hiding the self. The model in this study also draws on Kohutian and Bowenian understandings of DoS as an indicator of selfcohesion and capacities for self-regulation of emotions and interpersonal stress. Results based on Structural Equations Modeling supported the proposed theoretical model for 3 of the 4 measures of VN with DoS mediating the relationships between the predictor variables of approach idealization, goal instability, and hiding the self and the dependent variables of depression, forgiveness, and humility. The findings suggest the potential benefits of integrating research in psychoanalysis, family systems, and positive psychology. Implications are considered for future research, training of helping professionals, and clinical practice.

Religiousness has a long-standing presence in the research literature on intolerance. However, religiousness is minimally represented in the interpersonal violence myth (IPVM) literature. IPVMs comprise an aspect of the broader construct of intolerance. We heeded the call to address research on tradition-specific religious beliefs and IPVMs. As such, we examined select Christian beliefs about Divine-human relating, hierarchical relational expectations, complementarian gender ideology, and existential defensiveness as predictors of Domestic violence myth acceptance (DVMA) using a sample of 238 students from a Protestant evangelical seminary (M age ϭ 34.06, SD ϭ 9.33; range 22 -62 years; 41.6% female; 80.7% White). We observed positive associations among Calvinist tradition-specific religious beliefs and the 3 indicators of the latent construct of hierarchical relationality (i.e., hierarchical relational expectations, gender complementarianism, and existential defensiveness). We also observed (a) a positive indirect association between Calvinist beliefs and DVMA through the latent construct of hierarchical relationality, and (b) a negative indirect association between Calvinist beliefs and social justice advocacy through hierarchical relationality. Last, we observed evidence of suppression as the significant positive bivariate association between Calvinist beliefs and DVMA became significant and negative. Findings supported the conceptualization of domestic violence myths as comprised by nonacceptance of out-group members, hierarchical relationships, and gender inequality, and that an aspect of Calvinist ideology is similarly defined. Implications included designing training programs for religious leaders and constructing prevention and intervention strategies that foster self-reflection on religious beliefs associated with DVMA.