Date of Award
Fall 9-21-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department/Program
Forensic Psychology
Language
English
First Advisor or Mentor
William H. Gottdiener
Second Reader
Peggilee Wupperman
Third Advisor
Kevin L. Nadal
Abstract
The present study examines the relationship between perceived parental styles, grandiose narcissism, vulnerable narcissism, and defense mechanisms with the aim of replicating the Imamgolu & Batigun (2020) research findings. A cross-sectional design was used. Covariates such as sex, age, parental dynamics in youth, and household dynamics in youth. To do this, 150 participants between the ages of 18-65 and residing in the United States were recruited via Prolific. Regarding sex, 66.7% of the participants were female, 32.7% were male, and 0.7% were intersex. Upon recruitment, participants completed a battery consisting of the Pathological Narcissism Inventory, Narcissistic Personality Inventory-16, Perceived Parental Attitudes Scale-Child Form, Defense Style Questionnaire 40, Splitting Scale, and a demographic form. The analysis on sex indicated that female participants had significantly greater grandiose narcissism scores than male participants. No significant difference was found when examining sex and vulnerable narcissism. Both types of narcissism were found to decrease with an increase in age. A series of regression analyses found that grandiose narcissism was predicted by age, maternal overprotection, paternal rejection, the immature defense style, and the splitting defense mechanism. Vulnerable narcissism scores were predicted by age, paternal rejection, maternal overprotection, paternal warmth, splitting, the immature defense style, and the mature defense style. Findings largely replicated the findings of the original study with some exceptions. Recommendations for future research and implications for clinical treatment were provided.
Recommended Citation
Cordero, Jared C., "Mediating role of defense mechanisms between parenting styles and the development of pathological narcissism" (2025). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/jj_etds/370
