While there are a number of key characteristics associated with all narcissists (most notably, an excessive admiration and interest in oneself), there are also a number of “types” of narcissist who possess a series of unique toxic traits.

One such type is the “vulnerable narcissist”, which was the subject of a new study published in the journal Personality And Individual Differences.

According to the study, which set out to examine the relationship between vulnerable narcissism and several toxic interpersonal behaviours, vulnerable narcissism is broadly defined “in terms of hypersensitivity to rejection, negative affectivity, social isolation, but also of distrust of others and increased levels of anger and hostility”.

Psychology: this is the toxic move “vulnerable narcissists” use to put others down