Abstract

This review article presents the current definitions and contemporary knowledge with regard to the etiology of narcissistic personality disorder. By encompassing literature based both on subclinical and clinical manifestations of narcissism, the aim of this article is to provide a comprehensive overview of narcissism as a dimension of individual differences within the wider population, the developmental paths of which can result in extreme behavioral patterns officially recognized as a diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder. The main characteristics of narcissism are presented within the framework of structural and process conceptualizations, with special emphasis on the distinction between its grandiose and vulnerable aspects, as well as their paradoxical simultaneous expression in clinical cases. Considerations of multifactorial etiology of narcissistic personality disorder, which can be best understood within the wider context of personality development, are organized according to the diathesis-stress model in which the maladaptive socialization experiences activate the latent genetic and temperamental predispositions for the development of narcissistic traits.