A Scale Measuring the Intensity of Nonclinical Narcissism: Construction and Findings

Abstract

The article informs readers about the construction of a test of narcissism and associated phenomena. The author developed a scale based on a defi nition from the American Psychiatric Association (DSM IV-TR) and it is intended for use in standardised sociological surveys of non-clinical populations. The author tested it in two surveys: a pilot survey (N=141, snowball sampling) and in a representative survey of the Czech Republic (N=1081, quota sampling). The resulting parameters (17 items, the common factor exhausts 47% of the variance, Cronbach's  = 0,926) indicate that the test is more reliable than other instruments used to date (NPI, NPI-16) and owing to its smaller scope is also easy to use in questionnaire surveys. Intensive questioning confi rmed the scale's validity and produced results that correspond with the fi ndings of psychologists focusing on this issue. The author inductively arrived at an auxiliary typology of narcissism. In the text he distinguishes between voluntary and involuntary narcissists, the characteristics of which are described in literature published to date. The fi ndings presented in the article support the view of cognitive psychologists (e.g. J. Beck) who interpret narcissism as a 'defective cognitive scheme'. However, given the scope of the phenomenon measured in the Czech Republic (narcissistic features can be observed approximately from the eighth decile), narcissism cannot still be viewed as just a marginal and pathological phenomenon. On the contrary, it is necessary to approach it as a phenomenon that has a strong social aspect and also plays a signifi cant role in how modern society functions. In the Czech population narcissistic features are most often observed among the young generation (aged 18-29), childless, singles and people living in communities with more than 5000 inhabitants. As well as identifying narcissism as a socio-cultural phenomenon the article also demonstrates the relationship between the observed phenomenon and homosexuality.

Trends in Traffic Accidents of Firefighting Vehicles and Their Evaluation

“…According to the graph of daily variation of traffic intensities [17], the highest traffic density is from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (marked as the day), while in the early evening, evening, night, and early morning hours, i.e., from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., the traffic intensity is low (marked as the night). Based on that, the TAs have been divided according to the daytime in Table 12.…”