To be Known Is to Be Exposed: How Shame, Mentalizing, Belongingness, and Epistemic Trust Differentiate Narcissistic Subtypes

People with pronounced narcissistic traits exhibit marked problems in their intersubjective experiences, yet a more detailed view on how different aspects of interpersonal functioning relate to grandiose and vulnerable narcissism is lacking. We conducted a preregistered questionnaire study of 956 participants to examine how vulnerable and grandiose narcissistic traits differ in relation to mentalizing capacity, tendency to trust in socially transmitted information (epistemic trust), belongingness needs, and experiences of internal and external shame. Our findings confirmed hypotheses, differentiating distinct inter- and intrapersonal patterns between narcissistic subtypes: Individuals high in vulnerable narcissism displayed compromised mentalizing and were associated with increased epistemic mistrust and credulity, higher need for belonging, and heightened experiences of internal and external shame. Conversely, grandiose narcissistic traits predicted lower belongingness needs, reduced shame experiences, and higher epistemic mistrust without credulity or clear deficits in mentalizing abilities. These results clarify clinically meaningful distinctions within narcissistic presentations, highlighting vulnerable narcissisms pronounced interpersonal instability and grandiose narcissisms defensive self-regulation. The findings emphasize the importance of differentiating narcissistic subtypes to inform targeted therapeutic strategies addressing specific emotional and relational impairments.