Characteristics of Personality Disorders

Difference between personality type and trait?

• Personality type is categorical; Saying that someone is qualitatively a different type of person

• Personality trait is on a spectrum; quantitatively different levels—more or less of ____

How are personality disorders like ice cream?

• They are on a spectrum; different intensities within the same flavor

• ice cream vs gelato

What should we recall about personality?

it is developed to help people cope with relationships and their world

What are the three interpersonal trends Karen Horney found?

1. moving toward (befriending “the hostile”)

2. moving away (avoiding “the hostile”)

3. moving against (fighting “the hostile”)

How to tell if it’s a personality disorder?

• Causes distress, dysfunction, and/or harm 

• Long-lasting

• personality traits are extreme highs or lows, inflexible, and/or across multiple contexts

• usually develops in early adulthood

DSM guidlines for personality disorders?

• Marked deviance from one’s culture in at least two areas

  • Cognition 

  • Affectivity - how you feel 

  • Interpersonal functioning - how you relate

  • Impulse control 

• Inflexible pattern across situations

• Distress or impairment in important areas of functioning (social, work, etc.)

• Not due to another mental disorder 

  • Ex: manic episode that causes deviation is NOT a personality disorder

• Not due to drugs or another medical condition

What are the “bad five” pathological personality traits?

1. negative affectivity (neuroticism)

2. detachment (opposite of extraversion)

3. antagonism (opposite of agreeableness)

4. disinhibition (opposite of conscientiousness)

5. psychoticism (extreme openness)

Big 5 personality traits?

Openness
Conscientiousness
Extraversion
Agreeableness
Neuroticism

what is negative affectivity?

tendency to feel negative emotions

1. Neuroticism

2. More depression/anxiety, tend to have more mental health concerns

what is detachment?

tendency to withdraw from and avoid emotional contacts with others

1. Opposite of extraversion 

2. Someone who doesn’t feel a lot positive emotions, withdraws from others

what is antagonism?

including deceitfulness, grandiosity, callousness, and manipulative

• opposite of agreeableness

what is disinhibition?

lack of self control, impulsive behavior

• Opposite of conscientiousness (which is biggest predictor of school and career success)

what is psychoticism?

bizarre thoughts or experiences; eccentric behavior

1. Extreme openness

2. Might try new drugs or behave bizarrely