This study explored characteristic properties of overt narcissism and covert narcissism through investigating MMPI-2 profile types and characteristics of self-defense mechanism of the overt narcissism tendency group and the covert narcissism tendency ...
This study explored characteristic properties of overt narcissism and covert narcissism through investigating MMPI-2 profile types and characteristics of self-defense mechanism of the overt narcissism tendency group and the covert narcissism tendency group. First of all, differences of representation aspects of overt narcissism and covert narcissism was investigated with more specific and synthetic methods through exploring which profile types overt narcissism and covert narcissism would show in MMPI-2, which is one of the most popular personality tests in current clinical and counselling practice. Next, the differences in using defense mechanism, which influence characteristics properties and adaptive behaviors of the overt narcissism tendency group and the covert narcissism tendency group.
The results show that in the overt narcissism tendency group, K scale was increased by showing positive slope pattern in MMPI-2 validity scale, Ma scale was increased in clinical scale, and difference between covert narcissism tendency group and non-narcissism group was statistically significant. Moreover, in self-defense mechanism, overt narcissism tendency group was inclined to use defense mechanisms such as omnipotence, humor, denial, sublimitation, and covert narcissism tendency group was inclined to use defense mechanisms like suppression, projection, fantasy, resignation etc.
These results improved that narcissism tendency was represented as narcissistic, active, constructive, and vigorous personality in overt narcissism, but sensitiveness, nervousness, chronical depression, and negative emotion were shown in covert narcissism although their motivation for accomplishment was strong and high standard and strictness to themselves were shown.
In addition to that, totally different representation aspects of these narcissism was confirmed by MMPI-2 profiles. Also, compared to overt narcissistic personality, covert narcissistic personality shows using immature and unadaptive defense mechanism, which can be refereed that there might be more problems in adoptive behaviors in real life. The result of the study helps understand characteristic properties of overt narcissism and covert narcissism, understand narcissism systematically and synthetically by studying difference of representation aspects through the objective personality test, and prove that MMPI-2 would be the useful test material in evaluating two difference narcissism types of narcissistic personality disorder. Moreover, by researching characteristics of defense mechanism of overt narcissism and covert narcissism and difference of defense properties of two narcissism groups, understanding of personality of overt narcissism and covert narcissism could be expanded.
Since this study, however, was conducted based on university students, the possibility of generalizing this result to clinical groups which show narcissistic personality disorder should be investigated more, and it shows a limitation in that this was especially dealt with validity scales and clinical scales among the various subscale in MMPI-2. Because other subscales would provide more various and specific explanations on personality characteristics of overt narcissism and covert narcissism, follow-up studies are needed by utilizing these.