Chapter 13 - Personality disorders

Question 1

Five factor model

Answer 1

Personality theory which proposes that any individual’s personality is organised along five broad dimensions: neuroticism, extroversion, openness to experience, agreeableness and conscientiousness.

Question 2

Schizotypal personality disorder

Answer 2

Pervasive pattern of inhibited or inappropriate emotion and social behaviour as well as aberrant cognitions and disorganised speech.

Question 3

Paranoid personality disorder

Answer 3

Pervasive, unwarranted mistrust and suspicion of others.

Question 4

Schizoid personality disorder

Answer 4

Pervasive pattern of lack of interest in and avoidance of interpersonal relationships as well as emotional coldness in interactions with others.

Question 5

Narcissistic personality disorder

Answer 5

Pervasive pattern of experiencing inflated thoughts on one’s own worth as well as an obliviousness to others’ needs and an exploitative, arrogant demeanour.

Question 6

Histrionic personality disorder

Answer 6

Pervasive pattern of excessive emotionally and an intense need for attention and approval, which is sought by means of overly dramatic and seductive behaviour.

Question 7

Borderline personality disorder

Answer 7

Pervasive pattern of unstable mood, self-concept, interpersonal relationships and impulse control.

Question 8

Antisocial personality disorder

Answer 8

Pervasive pattern of criminal, impulsive, callous and/or ruthless behaviour predicated upon disregard for the rights of others and an absence of respect for social norms.

Question 9

Psychopathy

Answer 9

Set of personality traits including superficial charm, a grandiose sense of self-worth, a tendency towards boredom and need for stimulation, pathological lying, an ability to deceive others and be manipulative, and a lack of remorse; similar to antisocial personality disorder but with less emphasis on behaviour.

Question 10

Dependent personality disorder

Answer 10

Pervasive need to be cared for and fear of rejection, which leads to total dependence in and submission to others.

Question 11

Avoidant personality disorder

Answer 11

Pervasive anxiety, sense of inadequacy and fear of being criticised that leads to the avoidance of most social interactions with others and to restraint and nervousness in social situations.

Question 12

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

Answer 12

Pervasive rigidity in one’s activities and interpersonal relationships; includes characteristics such as emotional constriction, extreme perfectionism and anxiety resulting from even slight disruptions to one’s routine.

Question 13

Epigenetic

Answer 13

Related to influences on gene expression that do not involve change in DNA sequencing.

Question 14

Schema

Answer 14

Cognitive framework for organising information about the world.

Question 15

Schema therapy

Answer 15

Type of psychological treatment originally developed by Jeffrey Young for the treatment of personality disorders; it focuses on helping clients change their early maladaptive schemas, that is, certain psychological themes (such as emotional deprivation) that developed during childhood or adolescence.

Question 16

Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT)

Answer 16

Type of psychological treatment originally developed by Marsha Linehan for borderline personality disorder; combines cognitive-behavioural Zen techniques in four modules including mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, distress tolerance and emotion regulation.

Question 17

Cochrane reviews

Answer 17

Systematic review of research in human healthcare and policy.

Question 18

Cognitive analytic therapy

Answer 18

Type of psychological treatment developed by Anthony Ryle that combines concepts from cognitive and psychoanalytic therapies.

Question 19

Mentalisation

Answer 19

Capacity to think about one’s own mental state and the mental state of others.

Question 20

Antipsychotic medications

Answer 20

Drugs used to treat psychotic symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations.

Question 21

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)

Answer 21

Class of antidepressant drugs (such as fluoxetine) that inhibit the reuptake of serotonin.

Question 22

Adoption study

Answer 22

Study of the heritability of a disorder by finding adopted people with a disorder and then determining the prevalence of the disorder among their biological and adoptive relatives in order to separate contributing genetic factors from environmental factors.

Question 23

Testosterone

Answer 23

Main hormone produced by the testes.

Question 24

Orbitofrontal cortex

Answer 24

Part of the cortex that lies next to the cavity containing the eye.

Question 25

Amygdala

Answer 25

Part of the brain’s limbic system that is thought to regulate emotions.

Question 26

Social skills training

Answer 26

Behavioural technique that aims to help clients with problems in interacting and communicating with others.

Question 27

Twin study

Answer 27

Study of the heritability of a disorder by comparing concordance rates for the disorder between monozygotic and dizygotic twins.

Question 28

Concordance rate

Answer 28

Probability that both members of a twin pair will develop the same disorder.

Question 29

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis

Answer 29

Three components of the neuroendocrine system that work together in a feedback system interconnected with the brain’s limbic system and cerebral cortex.

Question 30

Cortisol

Answer 30

Hormone produced by the adrenal cortex that helps the body respond to stressors, inducing the fight or flight response.

Question 31

Family study

Answer 31

Study of the heritability of a disorder involving identifying people with a particular disorder and people without the disorder and then determining the disorder’s frequency within each person’s family.

Question 32

Meta-analysis

Answer 32

Statistical technique for summarising results across several studies.

Question 33

Separation anxiety disorder

Answer 33

Disorder of childhood characterised by abnormal fear of worry over becoming separated from one’s caregiver as well as clinging behaviour in the presence of caregivers

Question 34

Heritability

Answer 34

Percentage indicating the degree to which genes contribute to the development of a disorder.