What defense mechanism is least likely to be used by patients with narcissistic personality disorder?

Patients with narcissistic personality disorder primarily utilize defense mechanisms that help them maintain their fragile self-esteem and protect their self-image. Denial, projection, and rationalization are all common strategies for these individuals.

Denial allows them to refuse to accept truths about themselves or their shortcomings. Projection involves attributing their own unacceptable feelings or thoughts to others, allowing them to avoid internal conflict. Rationalization can help these individuals justify their behaviors and choices, providing a veneer of logic to actions that might otherwise be viewed as problematic.

In contrast, splitting is less characteristic of narcissistic personality disorder. Splitting is a defense mechanism commonly seen in borderline personality disorder, where individuals view people and situations in extremes, either all good or all bad. While narcissistic individuals may have black-and-white thinking, it is generally not the hallmark of their defensive strategies. Instead, they typically rely more on mechanisms that enhance their feelings of superiority and protect their self-image rather than dividing their perceptions of others so starkly. Thus, splitting is the defense mechanism least likely to be used by patients with narcissistic personality disorder.