Personality and Pathology Lecture Flashcards

These flashcards cover the definitions of normality/abnormality, various theoretical perspectives on personality pathology, and the specific diagnostic criteria for the ten personality disorders listed in the DSM-5.

Norma

The Latin root for 'normal,' meaning a carpenter's square, used to describe something that is true or right.

Statistical Deviation

A model of abnormality that measures how far a trait or behavior deviates from the mean, generally considering anything 2.5 standard deviations away to be abnormal.

The Medical Model

A conceptualization of abnormality as the result of an underlying disease process or medical problem where a patient either has the illness or does not.

Cultural/Social Model of Normality

A definition where normality is the standard approved by the majority of people within a specific culture or society.

Impairment Model

A model of abnormality based on the idea that a condition is abnormal if it causes harm or results in a loss of benefit to the person.

Psychodynamic Perspective

A theoretical orientation that views personality pathology as the result of unconscious processes, unconscious conflicts, and issues with the id, ego, or superego.

Behavioral Perspective

A view that personality disturbances are determined through classical and operant conditioning, suggesting people with disorders were reinforced for the wrong behaviors.

Humanistic Perspective

A viewpoint suggesting personality pathology arises from interrupted developmental processes or the inability to meet basic needs in Maslow's hierarchy.

Cognitive Approach

An orientation that attributes personality pathology to faulty schemas, rules for living, attributions (such as hostile attribution bias), and self-regulation deficits.

Personality Disorder (DSM-5 Definition)

An enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior that deviates markedly from cultural expectations, is pervasive, inflexible, stable over time, and leads to distress or impairment.

Categorical Model

The model used by the DSM where personality comes in discrete types with clear boundaries between normality and pathology.

Dimensional Model

A model where personality characteristics are viewed on a continuum of varying degrees rather than as fixed types.

Cluster A

A group of personality disorders characterized as 'odd' or 'eccentric,' including Paranoid, Schizoid, and Schizotypal disorders.

Cluster B

A group of personality disorders characterized as 'dramatic,' 'emotional,' or 'erratic,' including Antisocial, Borderline, Histrionic, and Narcissistic disorders.

Cluster C

A group of personality disorders characterized as 'anxious' or 'fearful,' including Avoidant, Dependent, and Obsessive-Compulsive disorders.

Paranoid Personality Disorder

A pattern of pervasive distrust and suspiciousness where others' motives are interpreted as malevolent.

Schizoid Personality Disorder

A pattern of detachment from social relationships and a restricted range of emotional expression; individuals often appear passive, cold, and apathetic.

Schizotypal Personality Disorder

A pattern of acute discomfort in close relationships, cognitive or perceptual disturbances (such as magical thinking and ideas of reference), and eccentric behavior.

Ideas of Reference

The belief that insignificant or neutral events directly relate to oneself, commonly seen in Schizotypal Personality Disorder.

Antisocial Personality Disorder

A pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others, often involving manipulation, deceit, or criminal behavior.

Conduct Disorder

A diagnosis for children and adolescents exhibiting behaviors like violence and animal cruelty; similar to antisocial features but diagnosed before age 18.

Psychopathy

A personality trait involving lack of remorse and manipulation; it is not a personality disorder itself but can predict an antisocial personality disorder diagnosis.

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

A pattern of instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image, and emotion, characterized by impulsivity and intense fears of abandonment.

Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI)

The frequent use of self-harm behaviors, such as cutting or burning, often used by individuals with BPD to manage affect or externalize internal pain.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

A recognized treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder, devised by Dr. Marsha Linehan, that requires roughly two years of commitment.

Histrionic Personality Disorder

A pattern of excessive emotionality and attention-seeking, often involving seductive behavior and a need to be the center of attention.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

A pattern of grandiosity, a need for admiration, and a lack of empathy; individuals are often hypersensitive to criticism.

Avoidant Personality Disorder

A pattern of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and hypersensitivity to negative evaluation; distinct from social anxiety by its greater severity and breadth.

Dependent Personality Disorder

A pattern of submissive and clinging behavior related to an excessive, pervasive need to be taken care of by others.

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD)

A pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and control, often resulting in rigidity and procrastination.

Dissociative Identity Disorder

Formerly known as multiple personality disorder, it is now classified as a trauma-related disorder rather than a personality disorder.

Hostile Attribution Bias

A cognitive bias where individuals interpret neutral or vague social cues as being hostile or negative.

Parasuicidal Behavior

A term for self-harm or suicidal gestures where the primary intent is often affect management or environmental manipulation rather than ending life.