The purpose of this study was to develop a scale measuring narcissistic vulnerability from the viewpoint of Kohut’s self psychology. It was assumed that narcissistic vulnerability could be measured through the following five indications: hypersensitivity to approval/admiration, covert sense of entitlement, inhibition of selfexhibition, insufficiency of self-soothing, and insufficient sense of purpose. Factor analysis on preliminary 52 items yielded five factors corresponding to the above indications. The 40 items selected through the factor analysis were grouped into five subscales, the whole of which was named Narcissistic Vulnerability Scale (NVS). Narcissistic vulnerability as measured by NVS was found to be positively correlated with hypervigilant type of narcissism. On every subscale of NVS, respondents scoring high exhibited greater intensity of anxiety and stronger depressive tendency than those scoring low. Patients with mental disorder showed higher scores than normal individuals on all subscales of NVS.

Key words: Narcissistic Vulnerability Scale, self psychology, factor analysis