The psychological construct of narcissism and the diagnostic label Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) have gained considerable attention in the literature in recent years, leading to the addition of the diagnostic category for NPD in the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM III) (1980). The DSM III diagnostic criteria, although not based on empirical studies, have provided a means for more reliable diagnosis among clinicians, and for furthering empirical validation of the construct. Studies have been conducted using a number of assessment instruments, including both objective and projective tests. The Narcissistic Personality Inventory (Raskin and Hall, 1979) is based on DSM III criteria, and has provided a very useful measure for empirical research. Although many questions remain unanswered, the findings do support the view that narcissism is a multidimensional construct rather than a single trait; that narcissism is ubiquitous and only becomes pathological when existing in greater than normal degrees; and that different forms of narcissism may exist depending on whether it results from deprivation or overvaluation. (Author/NB)