Abstract
Researchers have hypothesized that narcissists mask their implicit sense of self-dislike by constructing a grandiose self-representation. Several studies have tested this “mask model” using measures of implicit self-esteem, but no study has been done with a Japanese sample. In this study, the Implicit Association Test (Study 1; n=62) and a name letter task (Study 2; n=102) were administrated to measure the implicit self-esteem of Japanese undergraduates. The relationship between implicit self-esteem and narcissism was examined, and the results did not support the mask model. This result is similar to recent findings from a meta-analysis of the mask model of narcissism.
