The Mediating Role of Self-Knowledge Processes Relationship between Self-Compassion, Self-Esteem, and Narcissism

This paper aims to investigate the continuum of narcissism and the mediating role of self-knowledge processes in the relationship between self-compassion, self-esteem, and narcissism in clinical and non-clinical samples. The present study is basic in terms of its objectives and descriptive-correlational in terms of data collection. The research population consists of government and private employees in Shiraz and clients of psychological and psychiatric hospitals. 140 employees as non-clinical sample and 128 patients as clinical sample were selected by random sampling method. A total of 268 subjects (135 men and 133 women) participated in the current study (2019). Self-knowledge processes were measured using the self-control scale, self-knowledge scale, and mindful attention scale. Goal instability and superiority scales were used to measure narcissism, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and Self-Compassion Scale were used to measure self-esteem and self-compassion, respectively. The statistical method used in the study to examine the mediating role of self-knowledge processes was path analysis. SPSS 24 software were used to analyze data. The results showed that self-knowledge processes played a mediating role in the relationship between narcissism and self-esteem and self-compassion in both the clinical and non-clinical groups (ps <0.05). These findings highlight the importance of self-compassion as a healthier pole in the development of the narcissism continuum and indicate the mediating role of self-knowledge processes in this development.