Narcissistic Personality Inventory – NPI
Measures narcissistic personality traits across seven dimensions using a forced-choice format.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Narcissistic Personality Inventory – NPI was developed by Robert Raskin & Calvin S. Hall (1979). It is designed to measure Narcissism. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 40 items organized into 7 factors/subscales: Authority, Self-Sufficiency, Superiority, Exhibitionism, Exploitativeness, Vanity, Entitlement.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Authority | 1,8,10,11,12,32,33,36 | 8 |
| Self-Sufficiency | 17,21,22,31,34,39 | 6 |
| Superiority | 4,9,26,37,40 | 5 |
| Exhibitionism | 2,7,20,28,30,38 | 6 |
| Exploitativeness | 6,13,16,23,35 | 5 |
| Vanity | 15,19,29 | 3 |
| Entitlement | 3,5,14,18,24,25,27 | 7 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: A = Option A, B = Option B.
The scale includes 17 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 0 to 40. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Narcissism: 0 – 15
- Average Narcissism: 16 – 25
- High Narcissism: 26 – 40
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.84.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.