An experimental investigation of Kernberg's and Kohut's theories of narcissism.

This article presents data from a double-blind experimental study of the comparative validity of specific premises of Kernberg's and Kohut's theories of narcissism. The Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) was administered to 70 undergraduates. Thirteen of the 14 most narcissistic subjects (from the NPI data) participated in three experimental sessions during which the subject was exposed to one of three subliminal stimuli administered tachistoscopically. Each of the experimental stimuli represented an aspect of Kernberg's or Kohut's clinical theory of narcissism. A third stimulus contained neutral content and served as a control. After each tachistoscopic administration, the Narcissism-Projective (N-P) and the Self Focus Sentence Completion (SFSC), measures designed to assess narcissism and egocentricity, were administered. Results indicate that the Kernberg stimulus demonstrated a significant effect on the subject's narcissism and egocentricity (p less than .01). The stimulus that represented Kohut's theory did not demonstrate any statistically significant effect. It is concluded that methodologically rigorous investigations of psychoanalytical questions of theoretical and clinical significance are possible and necessary.