Abstract
Eating disorders (EDs) are often characterised by a low self-esteem. Further examination of the different facets of self-esteem (explicit and implicit) and its relationship to a key personality trait, narcissism, might deepen our understanding of EDs. The aim of the present study is to examine the relationship between explicit and implicit self-esteem as well as grandiose and vulnerable narcissism in a population with EDs. Explicit and implicit self-esteem as well as pathological narcissism were compared in participants with EDs (n = 69), participants with anxiety disorders (n = 51) and participants with no history of psychiatric disorders (n = 93). All participants completed a battery of questionnaires and participated in a categorization task to measure implicit self-esteem, the Implicit Association Test (IAT). The participants with EDs had the lowest explicit self-esteem (p < 0.001), the highest levels of vulnerable narcissism (p < 0.001) and they presented higher levels of grandiose narcissism compared to participants with no history of psychiatric disorders. However, they were not different than the other groups on implicit self-esteem (p = 0.271). Participants with EDs are characterised by a low convergent self-esteem (low explicit and implicit self-esteem). Our findings also suggest that participants with EDs present narcissistic fragilities that are better explained by explicit self-esteem alone rather than by implicit self-esteem or an interaction of both facets of self-esteem.
Highlights
Narcissism refers to an inflated sense of self, generally associated with vanity, grandiosity, and a sense of entitlement (Horowitz, 2013)
According to the mask model, narcissism should be associated with a high level of explicit self-esteem and a low level of implicit self-esteem, which refers to a discrepant high self-esteem (Jordan, Spencer, Zanna, Hoshino-Browne, & Correll, 2003)
Since no significant differences were found between Eating disorders (EDs) diagnoses in term of explicit self-esteem (p = 0.28), implicit self-esteem (p = 0.40) and levels of grandiose narcissism (p = 0.60) and vulnerable narcissism (p = 0.83), the ED group was treated as a single transdiagnostic sample
Summary
Narcissism refers to an inflated sense of self, generally associated with vanity, grandiosity, and a sense of entitlement (Horowitz, 2013). Psychodynamic theorists proposed that beneath these feelings of superiority and grandiosity, individuals with high levels of narcissism hid deep-seated negative feelings towards their self (Akhtar & Thomson, 1982; Kernberg, 1966, 1975; Kohut & Wolf, 1986). This is called the “mask model of narcissism”, a model that is originated from clinical observations. According to the mask model, narcissism should be associated with a high level of explicit self-esteem and a low level of implicit self-esteem, which refers to a discrepant high self-esteem (Jordan, Spencer, Zanna, Hoshino-Browne, & Correll, 2003)
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