The Subjective Omnipotence Scale: A New Measure of Normal Adolescent Narcissism

1. The Subjective Omnipotence Scale: A New Measure of Normal Adolescent Narcissism Ashleigh A. Renteria, Paul C. Stey & Daniel K. Lapsley Available at: www.nd.edu/~dlapsle1 Background Despite the widely held view that narcissism is endemic among adolescents, developmental studies of narcissism have not been prevalent in the literature. Few researchers have followed up with the early theoretical suggestion that narcissism may attach to adolescents' developmental status, particularly with respect to separation-individuation. One reason why research has lagged is that it is difficult to study narcissism as a normal outcome of adolescence in a way that does not presume psychopathology or personality disorder. Even if it is assumed that narcissism is a normal feature of adolescent separation-individuation, there is a problem of assessment. The primary scale for measuring narcissism is the NPI and it may not be particularly tailored to capture narcissism in adolescence. Further, the construct validity of the NPI has also been called into question (Brown, Budzik, & Tamborski, 2009). To this end, Lapsley and colleagues have argued that adolescent narcissism may be of a different kind than that which is captured by a pathological perspective (Hill & Lapsley, in press). In this view, normal adolescent narcissism takes the form of subjective omnipotence characterized by "grandiose ideas, plans and views of the self" (Sarnoff, 1988, p. 26). Research has also suggested a relationship between narcissism and self-esteem. While narcissism can be manifested in those with low self esteem, it may be adaptive only in those with high self-esteem (Brown et. al., 2009). Purpose (I.) Explore a promising new measure that purports to assess normal adolescent narcissism in the form of subjective omnipotence. The Subjective Omnipotence Scale (SOS) is designed to measure the grandiose phenotype of narcissism. (ii.) Examine the structural and psychometric properties of the SOS. We determine its convergent and discriminant validity, and examine a construct-valid pattern of associations with indices of well-being and adjustment. (iii.) Investigate whether the relationship between subjective omnipotence and adjustment is mediated by self-esteem. Method Participants: 238 undergraduate students (56% female; Mage = 20.3). Instruments and Reliabilities: Grandiose Narcissism Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI; Raskin & Hall, 1979) α = .72 Subjective Omnipotence Scale (SOS; Aalsma, Lapsley, & Flannery, 2006) α = .93 Vulnerability Narcissism Hypersensitivity Narcissism Scale (HSNS; Hendin & Cheek, 1997) α =.734 Figure 2. Test of Self-Esteem as a Mediator of Subjective Omnipotence Figure 1. Subjective Omnipotence Scale • Results and Conclusions • The Subjective Omnipotence Scale (SOS) was positively correlated with another measure of grandiose narcissism (Narcissistic Personality Inventory) and unrelated to hypersensitive narcissism. • The SOS was positively correlated with indices of well-being and life satisfaction, and counter-indicated college adjustment problems. • Principal component analysis of the SOS revealed a three-factor structure, which we labeled Influence, Leadership, and Grandiosity. • These findings provide evidence for the convergent and discriminant validity of the 30-item, three factor Subjective Omnipotence Scale. • Self-Esteem mediates the relationship between omnipotence and healthy adaptation. Table 1. Association between Subjective Omnipotence and Indices of Narcissism, Adjustment and Well-Being Subjective Omnipotence Scale (SOS) • Future Directions • Examine any association between subjective omnipotence and relationships, including relationship styles, intimacy, and attachment. • Utilize a measure of dysfunctional separation individuation to determine if the emergence of subjective omnipotence does in fact correspond to the developmental task as suggested by past research. * p < .05, ** p < .01 Society for Research in Child Development Montreal, March 2011