Narcissism and body image

This research examined the relationship between narcissism, as measured by the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI; Raskin & Hall, 1979), and body image, as measured by the Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (Winstead & Cash, 1984), in a nonclinical sample of college students. Also examined were narcissism's relationships to masculinity, femininity, and self-esteem. Results indicated that more narcissistic individuals had more favorable body images and were higher in masculinity and self-esteem. No gender differences were observed in either the levels of narcissism or its body image correlates. Overall, the findings suggest that the NPI measures “adjusted” narcissism rather than the “maladaptive” narcissism emphasized in theoretical and clinical accounts of the construct.