Internal and external shame and rejection sensitivity as correlates of vulnerable narcissism and social anxiety

Interpersonal rejection sensitivity and shame-related processes have been linked to both social anxiety and vulnerable narcissistic traits. Less is known about whether internal and external shame show differential associations with these outcomes alongside rejection sensitivity and sociodemographic variables. This study examined these associations in a general population sample ( N = 400) using self-report measures of rejection sensitivity, internal and external shame, social anxiety symptoms, and vulnerable narcissistic traits. Bivariate correlations and two direct-entry multiple regression models were conducted, with age and sex/gender as predictors. Rejection sensitivity, internal and external shame were positively correlated with both social anxiety symptoms and vulnerable narcissistic traits. In the regression model predicting social anxiety symptoms, internal shame emerged as the only significant predictor. In the model predicting vulnerable narcissistic traits, younger age, higher rejection sensitivity, and higher levels of both types of shame were significant predictors. Sex/gender was not significant in either model. These findings suggest that social anxiety symptoms and vulnerable narcissistic traits present partially distinct correlational profiles despite shared associations with shame and rejection sensitivity. Internal shame appears especially central to social anxiety, whereas vulnerable narcissistic traits are associated with a broader pattern involving rejection sensitivity and both internal and external shame.