Different coping strategies amongst individuals with grandiose and vulnerable narcissistic traits

OBJECTIVE: This study explored the relationships between coping with stress responses and grandiose and vulnerable narcissist traits. METHOD: A community sample of 170 adults (113 female) participated in this study. A cross-sectional design was employed that utilized self-report measures of trait anxiety, social desirability, coping with stress responses, and pathological narcissism. RESULTS: Regression models indicated that both grandiose and vulnerable narcissism traits are significantly associated with, in opposing directions, behavioural disengagement responses to stress when controlling for trait anxiety and social desirability. Vulnerable narcissism traits were significantly associated with the use of denial as coping with stress response when controlling for the same factors. CONCLUSION: These findings provide further evidence of the discriminant validity of the Pathological Narcissism Inventory and inform our understanding of the differences that grandiose and vulnerable narcissistic traits have on coping.