James Brody
September 29th, 2008, 11:36 AM
Zahavi & Zahavi (Zahavi, A. & Zahavi, A. (1997) The Handicap Principle: A Missing Piece of Darwin's Puzzle NY: Oxford) discuss the importance of calls and physical traits as indicators of fitness, not to predators but to other members of the same species. Narcissism comes to mind, particulary in an election year...
JimB
"Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Beyond the DSM-IV
"Are there subtypes?
"Narcissistic personality disorder has been little researched. These investigators asked experienced psychiatrists and clinical psychologists (mean practice experience, 20 years) to describe current long-term patients with longstanding "personality problems . . . that cause distress or dysfunction." Respondents provided 1201 patient descriptions (mean contact with assessed patients, 17 months).
"The authors comprehensively studied the 101 patients who met both DSM-IV checklist criteria for narcissistic personality disorder and more-precise clinician ratings for closely fitting the disorder "construct." They identified several core features not currently listed in the DSM, including interpersonal vulnerability, underlying emotional distress, anger, difficulty in regulating affect, and interpersonal competitiveness. Going far beyond the DSM, they identified three subtypes:
1) Grandiose/malignant type, characterized by seething anger, manipulativeness, pursuit of interpersonal control and power, exaggerated self-importance, feelings of privilege, few underlying feelings of inadequacy, little psychological insight or remorse, and a tendency to blame others.
2) Fragile type, characterized by defensive grandiosity to deflect painful feelings of smallness, anxiety, and loneliness; longings to feel important and privileged; and strong undercurrents of negative affect and feelings of inadequacy, often accompanied by rage, when narcissistic defenses fail.
3) High-functioning/exhibitionistic type, characterized by exaggerated self-importance; articulateness, energy, and sociability; good adaptive functioning; and use of narcissism to help him or her succeed."
By Joel Yager, MD, at http://psychiatry.jwatch.org/cgi/content/full/2008/922/3 (Subscription required)
More at Russ E et al. Refining the construct of narcissistic personality disorder: Diagnostic criteria and subtypes. Am J Psychiatry 2008 Aug 15; [e-pub ahead of print]. (http://dx.doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2008.07030376)
JimB
"Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Beyond the DSM-IV
"Are there subtypes?
"Narcissistic personality disorder has been little researched. These investigators asked experienced psychiatrists and clinical psychologists (mean practice experience, 20 years) to describe current long-term patients with longstanding "personality problems . . . that cause distress or dysfunction." Respondents provided 1201 patient descriptions (mean contact with assessed patients, 17 months).
"The authors comprehensively studied the 101 patients who met both DSM-IV checklist criteria for narcissistic personality disorder and more-precise clinician ratings for closely fitting the disorder "construct." They identified several core features not currently listed in the DSM, including interpersonal vulnerability, underlying emotional distress, anger, difficulty in regulating affect, and interpersonal competitiveness. Going far beyond the DSM, they identified three subtypes:
1) Grandiose/malignant type, characterized by seething anger, manipulativeness, pursuit of interpersonal control and power, exaggerated self-importance, feelings of privilege, few underlying feelings of inadequacy, little psychological insight or remorse, and a tendency to blame others.
2) Fragile type, characterized by defensive grandiosity to deflect painful feelings of smallness, anxiety, and loneliness; longings to feel important and privileged; and strong undercurrents of negative affect and feelings of inadequacy, often accompanied by rage, when narcissistic defenses fail.
3) High-functioning/exhibitionistic type, characterized by exaggerated self-importance; articulateness, energy, and sociability; good adaptive functioning; and use of narcissism to help him or her succeed."
By Joel Yager, MD, at http://psychiatry.jwatch.org/cgi/content/full/2008/922/3 (Subscription required)
More at Russ E et al. Refining the construct of narcissistic personality disorder: Diagnostic criteria and subtypes. Am J Psychiatry 2008 Aug 15; [e-pub ahead of print]. (http://dx.doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2008.07030376)