Self-functioning and perceived parenting: relations of parental empathy and love inconsistency with narcissism, depression, and self-esteem.(Report) From: Journal of Genetic Psychology | Date: March 1, 2008| Author: Trumpeter, Nevelyn N.; Watson, P.J.; O'Leary, Brian J.; Weathington, Bart L. | COPYRIGHT 2008 Heldref Publications. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

In Heinz Kohut's (1977, 1984) theory of the psychology of the self, good parenting provides a child with optimal frustration and just the right amount of loving empathic concern. In the present study, the authors examined the relations of perceived parental empathy and love inconsistency with measures of narcissism, self-esteem, and depression. In a sample of university undergraduates (N = 232; 78 men, 153 women, and 1 nonresponder), perceived parental empathy predicted more adaptive self-f...