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Abnormal Psychology > Chapter 10: Personality Disorders > Flashcards

Chapter 10: Personality Disorders Flashcards

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1
Q

There is reasonably broad agreement among personality researchers that about five basic personality trait dimensions can be used to characterize normal personality. What are the five traits?

A

Neuroticism (emotional instability), extraversion/introversion, openness to experience (unconventionality), agreeableness/antagonism, and conscientiousness.

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2
Q

What are the general features that characterize most personality disorders?

A

Chronic interpersonal difficulties, problems with one’s identity or sense of self, and an inability to function adequately in society

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3
Q

T or F: From a clinical standpoint, people with personality disorders often cause at least as much difficulty in the lives of others as they do in their own lives.

A

True.

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4
Q

T or F: Personality disorders typically stem from debilitating reactions to stress in the recent past

A

False. Rather, these disorders stem largely from the gradual development of inflexible and distorted personality and behavioural patterns that result in persistently maladaptive ways of perceiving, thinking about, and relating to the world.

*Stressful events early in life may help set the stage for the development of these inflexible and distorted personality patterns.

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5
Q

The DSM-5 personality disorders are grouped into

three clusters. What are they?

A

Cluster A: Includes paranoid, schizoid, and schizotypal personality disorders.

Cluster B: Includes histrionic, narcissistic, antisocial, and borderline personality disorders.

Cluster C: Includes avoidant, dependent, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorders.

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6
Q

Describe personality disorders that fall into Cluster A.

A

Cluster A: Includes paranoid, schizoid, and schizotypal personality disorders. People with these disorders often seem odd or eccentric, with unusual behaviour ranging from distrust and suspiciousness to social detachment.

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7
Q

Describe personality disorders that fall into Cluster B.

A

Cluster B: Includes histrionic, narcissistic, antisocial, and borderline personality disorders. Individuals with these disorders share a tendency to be dramatic, emotional, and erratic.

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8
Q

Describe personality disorders that fall into Cluster C.

A

Cluster C: Includes avoidant, dependent, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorders. In contrast to the other two clusters, people with these disorders often show anxiety and fearfulness.

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9
Q

T or F: Approximately 1 person in 10 has a diagnosable personality disorder of some kind.

A

True.

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10
Q

Out of the clusters of personality disorders, which is the most common?

A

Cluster C disorders are most common (the A, then B).

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11
Q

What is one reason why personality disorders are more likely to be misdiagnosed than other other disorder?

A

Diagnostic criteria for personality disorders are not as sharply defined as they are for most other diagnostic categories

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12
Q

What is a dimensional approach (assessment of personality disorders)?

A

This assumes that personality (and personality disorder) is more on a continuum. Accordingly, efforts have been made to develop dimensional systems of assessment for the symptoms and traits involved in personality disorders

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13
Q

What is the most successful approach for the assessment of personality disorders?

A

The five-factor model. To fully account for the myriad ways in which people differ, each of these five basic personality traits has subcomponents or facets.

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14
Q

Why do we not know much about the causal factors of personality disorders?

A

One reason for this is that personality disorders only began to receive consistent attention from researchers after they entered the DSM in 1980.

Another problem in drawing conclusions about causes occurs because researchers have more confidence in prospective studies (groups of people are observed before a disorder appears and are followed over a period of time to see which individuals develop problems and what causal factors have been present).

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15
Q

T or F: Genetic propensities and temperament may be important predisposing factors for the development of particular personality traits and disorders.

A

True. Parental influences, including emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, may also play a big role in the development of personality disorders.

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16
Q

What is paranoid personality disorder (Cluster A)?

A
  • Suspicious and distrustful of others
  • See themselves as blameless, instead blaming others for their own mistakes and failures (sometimes ascribing evil motives to others).
  • Chronically tense and “on guard”
  • Often preoccupied with doubts about the loyalty of friends and hence are reluctant to confide in others
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17
Q

Are men or women more affected by paranoid personality disorder?

A

Equal.

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18
Q

Do those with paranoid personality disorder have a greater chance of developing schizophrenia?

A

Yes.

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19
Q

What is schizoid personality disorder (Cluster A)?

A
  • Difficulties forming social relationships
  • Unable to express their feelings (come across cold and distant)
  • Tend not to take pleasure in many activities (including sex)
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20
Q

T or F: Schizoid personality traits have been shown to have fairly high heritability of around 55 percent.

A

True.

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21
Q

What is schizotypal personality disorder (Cluster A)?

A
  • Introverted and have pervasive social and interpersonal deficits
  • Cognitive and perceptual distortions
  • Highly personalized and superstitious thinking (magical powers)
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22
Q

T or F: Oddities in thinking, speech, and other behaviours are the most stable characteristics of schizotypal personality disorder

A

True.

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23
Q

Does schizotypal personality disorder affect men or women more?

A

Men.

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24
Q

T or F: Schizotypal personality disorder has moderate heritability

A

True.

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25
Q

What are the key characteristics of histrionic personality disorder (Cluster B)?

A

Excessive attention-seeking behaviour and emotionality (often considered vain, etc).

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26
Q

Are men or women more likely to have histrionic personality disorder?

A

Women.

*This may be due to a sexual bias though.

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27
Q

T or F: Many do not believe that histrionic personality disorder is a valid diagnosis.

A

True. It was recommended for removal in the DSM-5.

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28
Q

What are characteristics of an individual with narcissistic personality disorder (Cluster B)?

A

Exaggerated sense of self-importance, a preoccupation with being admired, and a lack of empathy for the feelings of others

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29
Q

What are the two subtypes of narcissism?

A

Grandiose and vulnerable narcissism

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30
Q

What is grandiose narcissism?

A

Manifested by traits related to grandiosity, aggression, and dominance. These are reflected in a strong tendency to overestimate their abilities and accomplishments while underestimating the abilities and accomplishments of others. Because they believe they are so special, they often think they can be understood only by other high-status people or that they should associate only with such people.

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31
Q

What is vulnerable narcissism?

A

Vulnerable narcissists have a very fragile and unstable sense of self-esteem, and for these individuals, arrogance and condescension is merely a façade for intense shame and hypersensitivity to rejection and criticism. They may avoid interpersonal relationships due to fear of rejection or criticism.

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32
Q

Is narcissistic personality disorder more common in women or men?

A

Men.

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33
Q

Regarding causal attributes, what has vulnerable narcissism been associated with?

A

Emotional, physical, and sexual abuse; as well parenting styles characterized as intrusive, controlling, and cold

34
Q

What are the characteristics of antisocial personality disorder (Cluster B)?

A
  • The tendency to persistently disregard and violate the rights of others.
  • Deceitful, aggressive, and antisocial behaviours
  • Little regard for safety—either their own or that of others.
35
Q

Before individuals can be diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder at 18, what needs to have come first?

A

The person must have shown symptoms of conduct disorder before age 15 (precursor).

36
Q

T or F: There may be a genotype–environment interaction that contributes to the explanation of antisocial personality disorder.

A

True.

37
Q

What is one gene that is important to consider for the genotype-environment interaction for antisocial personality disorder?

A

Monoamine oxidase A gene (MAOA gene), is involved in the breakdown of neurotransmitters like norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin—all neurotransmitters affected by the stress of maltreatment that can lead to aggressive behaviour

*individuals with low MAOA activity were far more likely to develop ASPD if they had experienced early maltreatment than were individuals with high MAOA activity and early maltreatment and individuals with low levels of MAOA activity without early maltreatment

38
Q

T or F: ASPD has its roots in childhood

A

True, especially for boys.

*Children with an early history of oppositional defiant disorder—characterized by a pattern of hostile and defiant behaviour toward authority figures that usually begins by the age of 6 years, followed by early-onset con-duct disorder around age 9—who are most likely to develop ASPD as adults

39
Q

T or F: ADHD is not a potential precursor for ASPD.

A

False. When ADHD co-occurs with conduct disorder, this leads to a high likelihood that the person will develop a severely aggressive form of ASPD.

40
Q

What are the key clinical aspects of borderline personality disorder (BPD) (Cluster B)?

A
  • Show a pattern of behaviour characterized by impulsivity and instability in their interpersonal relationships, their self-image, and their moods.
  • Central characteristic is affective instability (unusually intense emotional responses to environmental triggers, and a slow return to a baseline emotional state and drastic and rapid shifts from one emotion to another).
  • Highly unstable self-image or sense of self.
  • Chronic feelings of emptiness and difficulty forming a sense of self.
  • Struggle to cope with a highly negative self-concept and being alone.
  • Impulsivity
41
Q

What makes BPD unusual regarding comorbidity?

A

it tends to be comorbid with both internalizing disorders (such as mood and anxiety disorders), as well as externalizing disorders (such as substance use disorders).

42
Q

What are causal factors of BPD?

A
  • Runs in families (genes may account for 40 percent of the variance in this disorder).
  • Environmental factors are thought to account for the largest proportion (55 percent) of variance (child adversity and maltreatment).
43
Q

Approximately what percentage of those diagnosed with BPD have experienced some type of childhood abuse or neglect?

A

90 percent.

44
Q

BPD is associated with what type of abnormalities in brain functioning?

A

Increased amygdala activation in emotion-inducing situations, as well as with reduced prefrontal regulation

45
Q

What are characteristics of avoidant personality disorder (Cluster C)?

A

Extreme social inhibition and introversion, leading to life-long patterns of limited social relationships and reluctance to enter into social interactions (due to fear of, criticism and disapproval). They desire affection and are often lonely and bored. Often associated with depression.

46
Q

What mood disorder is avoidant personality disorder often associated with?

A

Depression.

47
Q

Is avoidant personality disorder more common in men or women?

A

Women.

48
Q

What is the key difference between avoidant personality disorder and schizoid personality disorder?

A

The person with schizoid personality disorder has little desire to form close relationships.

49
Q

T or F: there are cases of generalized social phobia without avoidant personality disorder but very few cases of avoidant personality disorder without generalized social phobia.

A

True.

50
Q

What have researchers proposed as causal factors for avoidant personality disorder?

A

May have its origins in an innate “inhibited” temperament that leaves the infant and child shy and inhibited in novel and ambiguous situations.

Also evidence that the fear of being negatively evaluated is moderately heritable.

Genetically and biologically based inhibited temperament may serve as the diathesis that leads to avoidant personality disorder in some children who experience emotional abuse, rejection, or humiliation from parents who are not particularly affectionate.

51
Q

What are characteristics of dependent personality disorder (Cluster C)?

A
  • Extreme need to be taken care of, which leads to clinging and submissive behaviour.
  • ## Acute fear at the possibility of separation (fear they are inept).
52
Q

Why is dependent personality disorder more prominent in females rather than males?

A

Not sexual bias but rather due to the higher prevalence in women of certain personality traits such as neuroticism and agreeableness, which are prominent in dependent personality disorder

53
Q

How does the fear of abandonment differ in borderline personality disorder and dependent personality disorder?

A

The borderline personality, who usually has intense and stormy relationships, reacts with feelings of emptiness or rage if abandonment occurs, whereas the dependent personality reacts initially with submissiveness and appeasement and then finally with an urgent seeking of a new relationship.

54
Q

Histrionic and dependent personalities both have strong needs for reassurance and approval… how could you potentially tell them apart?

A

The histrionic personality is much more gregarious, flamboyant, and actively demanding of attention, whereas the dependent personality is more docile and self-effacing.

55
Q

What are potential causal factors of dependent personality disorder?

A
  • Between 30 and 60 percent of the variance might be attributable to genetic factors
  • Genetically based predispositions to dependence and anxiousness may be especially prone to the adverse effects of parents who are authoritarian and overprotective (lead children to believe that they must rely on others for their own well-being and are incompetent on their own)
  • Maladaptive cognitive schemas.
56
Q

What characterizes obsessive compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) (Cluster C)?

A

Perfectionism and an excessive concern with orderliness and control

57
Q

What are the most stable features of OCPD?

A

Rigidity, stubbornness, and perfectionism, as well as reluctance to delegate.

58
Q

T or F: People with obsessive compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) have true obsessions or compulsive rituals just like those with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

A

False. People with OCPD do not have true obsessions or compulsive rituals as is the case with obsessive-compulsive disorder

59
Q

Is OCPD thought to be more common in men or women?

A

Men.

60
Q

Another influential biological dimensional approach—that of Cloninger (1987)—posits three primary dimensions of personality: novelty seeking, reward dependence, and harm avoidance. Explain how this relates to those who are diagnosed with OCPD?

A

Individuals with obsessive-compulsive personalities have low levels of novelty seeking (i.e., they avoid change) and reward dependence (i.e., they work excessively at the expense of pleasurable pursuits) but high levels of harm avoidance (i.e., they respond strongly to aversive stimuli and try to avoid them).

61
Q

T or F: there is less variance across cultures than within cultures regarding personality disorders.

A

True.

62
Q

What are some goals that could be set during treatment?

A

Goals might include reducing subjective dis-tress, changing specific dysfunctional behaviours, and changing whole patterns of behaviour or the entire structure of the personality.

63
Q

What clusters may struggle in a therapeutic setting?

A

Those from the odd/eccentric Cluster A and the erratic/dramatic Cluster B have general difficulties in forming and maintaining good relationships, including with a therapist. In general, people with personality disorders have rigid, ingrained personality traits that often lead to poor therapeutic relationships and additionally make them resist doing the things that would help improve their other conditions.

64
Q

Why are cognitive approaches being increasingly used for personality disorders?

A

The dysfunctional feelings and behaviours associated with the personality disorders are largely the result of schemas (styles of thinking) that tend to produce consistently biased judgments, as well as tendencies to make cognitive errors. Changing these underlying dysfunctional schemas is difficult but is at the heart of cognitive therapy for personality disorders.

65
Q

What are some cognitive approaches that could be used for personality disorders?

A

Monitoring automatic thoughts, challenging faulty logic, and assign-ing behavioural tasks in an effort to challenge the patient’s dysfunctional beliefs.

66
Q

There are several types of psychotherapy that may be effective for BPD. What are they?

A

Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), transference-focused psychotherapy (helps black or white thinking), and mentalization (understand their feelings).

67
Q

What is Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT)?

A

Unique kind of cognitive and behavioural therapy specifically adapted for BPD. One of the primary goals of treatment is to encourage patients to accept negative affect without engaging in self-destructive or other maladaptive behaviours.

68
Q

T or F: Drugs are not often used in the treatment of BPD.

A

False, but there is little evidence to support their use.

69
Q

Which cluster has the most promising treatments?

A

Cluster C (using a form of short-term psychotherapy that is active and confrontational).

70
Q

Extensive research with the 20-item Psychopathy Checklist–Revised (PCL-R) has shown that psychopathy can best be understood by considering four dimensions. What are they?

A

Interpersonal, affective, lifestyle, and antisocial.

The interpersonal dimension reflects a personality style that is characterized by glibness/superficial charm, a grandiose sense of self-worth, pathological lying, and the conning manipulation of others.

The affective dimension reflects traits such as lack of remorse or guilt, callousness/lack of empathy, shallow affect, and a failure to accept responsibility for one’s behaviour.

The lifestyle dimension reflects a need for stimulation, a tendency to be easily bored, impulsivity, irresponsibility, a lack of reasonable long-term goals, as well as a parasitic lifestyle.

The antisocial dimension reflects the aspects of psychopathy that involve poor behaviour controls, early behaviour problems, delinquency, and criminality

71
Q

Out of the four dimensions that contribute to the understanding of psychopathy, what are the two that relate closely to the DSM diagnosis of ASPD?

A

lifestyle and antisocial dimensions

72
Q

T or F: adolescents with higher psychopathy scores are not only more likely to show violent reoffending but are also more likely to reoffend more quickly

A

True

73
Q

What areas in the brain are linked to psychopathy?

A

Deficits in the prefrontal cortex as well as the amygdala

74
Q

What are the major characteristics of psychopaths?

A

Inadequate conscience development, irresponsible and impulsive behaviour, ability to impress and exploit others,

75
Q

T or F: Psychopathy and some of its important features show considerable heritability

A

True. Not only that, but callous and emotional traits in young children may provoke the kind of reactions
in parents that may further increase risk for future antisocial behaviour.

76
Q

How is low-fear and impaired fear conditioning a causal factor of psychopathy?

A

Consistent with amygdala deficits. To add to this, brain imaging studies show that individuals with psychopathy show less activity in the amygdala (relative to controls) not only during fear conditioning but also when viewing sad or frightened faces. This is consistent with the idea that psychopaths are low on empathy, This is consistent with the idea that psychopaths are low on empathy.

77
Q

T or F: Prevalence of psychopathy seems to vary with sociocultural influences that encourage or discourage its development

A

True.

78
Q

What trait of psychopathy is most consistent across cultures?

A

affective-interpersonal dimension

79
Q

What do some researchers suggest for treatment of psychopaths?

A

Some researchers suggest that treatment efforts should focus more on convincing psychopaths that they should use their abilities and talents to get their needs met in more prosocial ways

80
Q

What treatments have been thought to offer the greatest promise for psychopathy?

A

Cognitive-behaviour treatments have been thought to offer the greatest promise of more effective treatment

81
Q

When should treatment for psychopathy be introduced?

A

As early as possible.

Abnormal Psychology (8 decks)

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