Female Narcissism: Assessment, Aetiology, and Behavioural Manifestations

Abstract

Despite putative gender differences in the expression of narcissism, prominent theories have virtually dismissed the role of females in the development and manifestation of narcissism. The contention that narcissism is a pathology of the self that may partly differ in males and females is further evident in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). The DSM-5 reports that up to 75% of those diagnosed with Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) are men. Such figures suggest that the representation of narcissism as codified in the DSM-5 may only be marginally applicable to females, given its prominent focus and nature on capturing grandiose themes which closely resemble commonly masculine norms. The overemphasis on grandiose features extends to the empirical literature which defines narcissism as a normative personality trait and is widely assessed using the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI), on which males obtain significantly higher scores than females. As this review will demonstrate, one limitation frequently occurring in the literature is the attempt to comprehend narcissistic manifestations in females through the lens of what has commonly been defined as narcissism (DSM/NPI). In this review, the literature concerning the diagnostic assessment and conceptualization of narcissistic personality disorder, etiological factors, aggression, and partner violence perpetration will be discussed in relation to the importance of gender. This is followed by a review of existing gaps in theory and research, and suggestions for fruitful directions that can aid a richer and more meaningful literature on narcissism inclusive of gender issues.

Self-reported narcissistic traits in patients with addiction through the lens of the ICD-11 model for personality disorders

“…However, this hypothesis requires further validation in both, clinical and non-clinical samples. In line with the conclusion of Green et al (36) that gender may play a key factor that partly determines specific psychopathological constellations, our findings regarding the prevalence of vulnerable narcissistic features among women shed light on the specifics of addiction treatment in women. From a clinical perspective, the question remains whether unified regimen treatments based on discipline and order may not further increase the feeling of inferiority and thus dependence on authority, rather than promoting the growth of healthy female self-confidence and independence.…”

“…The issue of gender differences is also a current topic of pathological narcissism research. Green et al (36) in a recent review pointed out the shortcomings of the hitherto prevailing way of evaluating narcissistic pathology, which primarily focuses on grandiose aspects that closely resemble prevailing masculine norms. A gender imbalanced approach to the assessment of narcissistic psychopathology may thus lead to the fact that manifestations of pathological narcissism in women are underdiagnosed, which can be manifested by shyness, shame, hypersensitivity, and low self-esteem, i.e., components typical of the vulnerable narcissistic prototype, rather than the aggressive self-assertion typical of the grandiose prototype (5).…”

“It’s not you, it’s me”: identity disturbance as the main contributor to interpersonal problems in pathological narcissism

“…Although the observed gender differences found in this study are consistent with the current literature, with males scoring exclusively higher on narcissistic grandiosity than females [ 34 ], recent empirical work on gender differences in pathological narcissism suggests gender disparities in both narcissistic expression and behaviour (for a review, see [ 31 ]. Considering that recent work has also highlighted that gender differences may arise in the endorsement of items pertaining to pathological narcissism (i.e., the items contained within instruments measuring pathological narcissism may have different meaning for the two genders, and more generally reflecting the male gender expression than that of females and feminine qualities, [ 32 , 39 ], an equally-distributed sample across both genders as well as the inclusion of different measures of pathological narcissism would allow for a more statistically sound and clinically relevant investigation of potential gender differences. This was however beyond the scope of the current study.…”

The Nature of Personality Disorders among Females

“…Men tend to diagnosed with this disorder more than women. DSM-5 reported that up to 75% of patients were men (Green, MacLean, & Charles, 2021). Men are often rated in narcissistic disorder higher than women (Golomb, Fava, Abraham, & Rosenbaum, 1995).…”