The Instrument: NPI-40
Our narcissism test is based on the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI-40), developed by Robert Raskin and Howard Terry in 1988.
What It Measures
The NPI-40 assesses seven components of narcissism:
- Authority — Leadership tendencies and desire for power
- Self-Sufficiency — Belief in one's own abilities and independence
- Superiority — Feelings of being better than others
- Exhibitionism — Desire for attention and admiration
- Exploitativeness — Tendency to manipulate others for personal gain
- Vanity — Preoccupation with physical appearance
- Entitlement — Expectations of special treatment
Subclinical vs. Clinical Narcissism
The NPI-40 measures subclinical narcissism—personality traits present in the general population—not Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), which requires clinical diagnosis.
Validation & Reliability
The NPI-40 is the most extensively researched measure of narcissism:
- Internal Consistency: Cronbach's alpha of .83-.89 across studies
- Test-Retest Reliability: Correlation of .81 over 8 weeks
- Citation Count: Over 5,000 academic citations since publication
- Cross-Cultural Validation: Validated across dozens of countries and cultures
The original validation studies included over 1,000 participants across multiple samples.
Academic Citations
- Raskin, R., & Terry, H. (1988). A principal-components analysis of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory and further evidence of its construct validity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54(5), 890-902. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.54.5.890
- Raskin, R., & Hall, C. S. (1979). A Narcissistic Personality Inventory. Psychological Reports, 45(2), 590. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1979.45.2.590
- Campbell, W. K., & Miller, J. D. (Eds.). (2011). The handbook of narcissism and narcissistic personality disorder: Theoretical approaches, empirical findings, and treatments. John Wiley & Sons.
- Ackerman, R. A., Witt, E. A., Donnellan, M. B., Trzesniewski, K. H., Robins, R. W., & Kashy, D. A. (2011). What does the Narcissistic Personality Inventory really measure? Assessment, 18(1), 67-87. https://doi.org/10.1177/1073191110382845
- Twenge, J. M., & Campbell, W. K. (2009). The narcissism epidemic: Living in the age of entitlement. Free Press.
Limitations
While the NPI-40 is highly validated, it's important to understand its limitations:
- Self-Report Bias: Narcissistic individuals may underreport negative traits
- Subclinical Focus: Does not diagnose Narcissistic Personality Disorder
- Cultural Considerations: Some items may reflect cultural values differently
- Adaptive vs. Maladaptive: Some narcissistic traits (like leadership) can be healthy
For clinical concerns about narcissism, we recommend consulting a licensed mental health professional.
Clinical Disclaimer: This assessment is for educational and self-discovery purposes only. It does not diagnose Narcissistic Personality Disorder or any mental health condition. If you're concerned about narcissistic traits in yourself or others, please consult a qualified mental health professional.