Ch. 12 | Personality Disorders

antisocial personality disorder

a personality disorder characterized by antisocial and irresponsible behavior and lack of remorse for misdeeds

violate rights of others, breaks the law

evidence of a conduct disorder

more common in lower SES

avoidant personality disorder (APD)

a personality disorder characterized by avoidance of social relationships due to fears of rejection

borderline personality disorder splitting (BPD)

a personality disorder characterized by abrupt shifts in mood, lack of a coherent sense of self, and unpredictable, impulsive behavior

possible overdiagnosis

ego dystonic

referring to behaviors or feelings that are perceived to be alien to one’s self-identity

ego syntonic

referring to behaviors or feelings that are perceived as natural parts of the self

dependent personality disorder

a personality disorder characterized by difficulty making independent decisions and overly dependent behavior

histrionic personality disorder

a personality disorder characterized by excessive need for attention, praise, reassurance, and approval

impulse-control disorders

psychological disorders characterized by failure to control impulses, temptations, or drives, resulting in harm to oneself or others

intermittent explosive disorder (IED)

a type of impulse-control disorder characterized by impulsive aggression

kleptomania

a type of impulse-control disorder characterized by compulsive stealing

narcissistic personality disorder

a personality disorder characterized by an inflated self-image and extreme needs for attention and admiration

difficulty taking criticism

obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

a personality disorder characterized by rigid ways of relating to others, perfectionistic tendencies, lack of spontaneity, and excessive attention to detail

paranoid personality disorder

a personality disorder characterized by undue suspiciousness of others’ motives, but not to the point of delusion

personality disorders

excessively rigid behavior patterns, or ways of relating to others, that ultimately become self-defeating.

pyromania

a type of impulse-control disorder characterized by compulsive fire setting

schizoid personality disorder

a personality disorder characterized by persistent lack of interest in social relationships, flattened affect, and social withdrawal

schizotypal personality disorder (SPD)

a personality disorder characterized by lack of close personal relationships and eccentricities of thought and behavior, but without clearly psychotic features

Thomas Szasz

psychiatrist and social critic

"mental illness" is a metaphor for problems in living, not a biological disease

personality functioning

dimensional alternative

impairment in personality functioning as rated along a continuum

pathological personality traits

25 trait facets within five broad domains:
negative affectivity

detachment

antagonism

disinhibition

psychoticism

HiTOP

Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology

proposed dimensional alternative to DSM approach

seeks to identify where individuals fall on various spectra of pathology

downward drift

mental illness can lead to a decline in socioeconomic status, rather than the reverse,

Dark Triad

cluster of 3 personality traits often found together
narcissism - correlated with higher salaries

machiavellianism - manipulative, unprincipled

psychopathy - lacking empathy, often aggressive

Hans Kohut

“Self-Psychology”

following childhood of healthy narcissism, adults mount a facade of narcissism to cover feelings of inadequacy

Otto Kernberg

Borderline PD reflects a splitting of the self after early failure to develop a holistic sense of self (Erikson)
don’t know who they are

Margaret Mahler

after early symbiotic relationship with mothers, process of separation-individuation fails, leading to borderline PD

cognitive-learning perspective

focuses on childhood reinforcement of negative behaviors

how we think about the world based on how we respond to the world

problem-solving therapy

cognitive-learning therapy

train antisocial adolescents to view negative social interactions as problems to be solved rather than threats to manhood

dialectical-behavior therapy

most widely used in PD

learn a better way to operate in society by:
analysis of behaviors and responses, exploration of what might have been done better

biological perspective

many personality traits have a genetic base

ex: low epinephrine levels leads to lack of anxiety

sociocultural perspective

PDs may be excessive versions of socially reinforced characteristics

dependent on how a trait is rewarded within a culture.