Predicting Grandiose and Vulnerable Narcissism in Medical Students: The Roles of Fear of Compassion and Inferiority Avoidance
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Objective: Grandiose and vulnerable narcissism are linked to emotion regulation difficulties and interpersonal dysfunction. Identifying psychological correlates of these traits in medical students may inform early intervention. This study examined whether fear of compassion (FC) and striving to avoid inferiority (SAI) are associated with narcissistic traits in this population.
Methods and Materials: In a cross-sectional design, 319 medical science students (59.6% female; age range: 18–32 years, M = 23.75, SD = 2.75) at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences completed the Pathological Narcissism Inventory, the Fear of Compassion Scale, and the Striving to Avoid Inferiority Scale. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlations and multiple linear regression. Assumptions of normality were met.
Findings: Both FC and SAI were positively correlated with grandiose narcissism (r = .66 and .62, respectively; p < .01) and vulnerable narcissism (r = .75 and .70, respectively; p < .01). Regression analyses indicated that FC (β = .477) and SAI (β = .235) jointly explained 46.6% of the variance in grandiose narcissism (R² = .466, F(2, 316) = 137.64, p < .001). For vulnerable narcissism, FC (β = .544) and SAI (β = .237) accounted for 56.2% of the variance (R² = .562, F(2, 316) = 202.61, p < .001).
Conclusion: Fear of compassion and inferiority avoidance were positively associated with both grandiose and vulnerable narcissism in medical students. These findings underscore the relevance of affective and motivational processes in understanding narcissistic traits in high-pressure academic environments.
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