The Relation of Vulnerable Narcissism with Attachment Styles, Emotion Regulation, Rejection Sensitivity, Fear of Intimacy and Self-Concealment

The main aim of this study was to investigate the associations between vulnerable narcissism, adult attachment styles, emotion regulation, rejection sensitivity, fear of intimacy and self-concealment. Another aim was to test the mediating role of emotion regulation in the relationship between attachment and vulnerable narcissism and also to examine the mediating role of rejection sensitivity in the relationship between selfconcealment and vulnerable narcissism. For this purpose, 236 participants between the ages of 18 and 60, who were chosen from normal population, constituted the sample. Hypersensitive Narcissism Scale, Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire, Fear of Intimacy Scale and Self-Concealment Scale were applied to the participants. Findings of the study indicated significant positive relation of vulnerable narcissism with anxious attachment style, emotion regulation difficulties, rejection sensitivity and selfconcealment. Also, a significant negative relationship was found between vulnerable narcissism and fear of intimacy. Stepwise regression analysis revealed that study variables explained 21% of the variance in vulnerable narcissism. In addition, emotion regulation had a full mediating role in the relationship between anxious attachment and vulnerable narcissism, whereas rejection sensitivity had partially mediated the relation between self-concealment and vulnerable narcissism