INTRODUCTION

The construct of narcissism has enjoyed a long but controversial history in clinical psychology (Akhtar & Thompson, 1982; Cooper, 1959; Rhodewalt & Sorrow, 2002). In this literature, narcissism is viewed as a rich and complex personality disorder organized around the core characteristic of pathological self-love. Paradoxically, narcissistic self-love does not exist in an intrapsychic vacuum but rather is played out within the individual's interpersonal relationships. Thus, for the narcissist, social motivation involves interacting with others for the purpose of self-esteem maintenance or enhancement. The narcissist's dependence on others for a sense of self-worth and validation is the focus of this chapter.

The issue of social motivation has long been at the heart of psychoanalytic models of narcissism. Despite the fact that there has been considerable debate about causes and manifestations of the disorder, the major psychodynamic theorists appear to agree that adult narcissism results from a childhood history of problematic interpersonal relationships. As adults, narcissists possess grandiose self-concepts that incorporate a conflicted psychological dependence on others. For example, Kohut (1971) proposed that normal development of the self occurs through interactions with others who provide the child with opportunities to gain approval and enhancement and simultaneously allow the child to identify with positive or perfect models. When significant others (parents) fail to provide these opportunities or are unempathetic, children undergo developmental arrest in which they childishly view the social world as being there to fulfill their needs.