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Abnormal Psychology > Exam 4: Personality Disorders > Flashcards

Exam 4: Personality Disorders Flashcards

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1
Q

what is personality?

A

set of unique characteristics that influence our behaviors, emotions, thoughts, and interactions

-enduring characteristics - called traits - lead us to react in predictable ways

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2
Q

traits

A

hypothetical constructs used to explain individual differences in response to a given situation and individual consistency across different situations

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3
Q

what is a personality disorder?

A

-enduring, rigid, or extreme patterns of inner experience and outward behavior that impair sense of self, emotional experience, goals and capacity for empathy or intimacy

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4
Q

when does a personality disorder typically become recognizable?

A

in adolescence or early adulthood

-these are among the most difficult psychological disorders to treat

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5
Q

what percentage of adults may have a personality disorder?

A

9-13% of adults

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6
Q

The DSM-5 identifies 10 personality disorders separated into 3 groups or clusters. What are these 3 groups?

A
  • odd or eccentric behavior
  • dramatic, emotional, or erratic behavior
  • anxious or fearful behavior
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7
Q

odd or eccentric behavior

A
  • paranoid
  • schizoid
  • schizotypal
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8
Q

dramatic, emotional, or erratic behavior

A
  • antisocial
  • borderline
  • narcissistic
  • histrionic
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9
Q

anxious or fearful behavior

A
  • avoidant
  • dependent
  • obsessive-compulsive
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10
Q

the classifying of personality disorders uses what approach?

A

categorical approach

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11
Q

classifying personality disorders

A
  • the symptoms of personality disorders overlap each other so much that it can be difficult to distinguish from one another
  • individuals may have more than one personality disorder
  • some theorists believe that personality disorders differ more in DEGREE than in type of dysfunction - called a DIMENSIONAL approach
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12
Q

dimensional approach

A

some theorists believe that personality disorders differ more in degree than in type of dysfunction

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13
Q

Odd personality disorders

A
  • paranoid, schizoid, and schizotypal personality disorders
  • people w/ these disorders display behaviors similar to, but not as extensive as, schizophrenia
  • behaviors include extreme suspiciousness, social withdrawal, and peculiar ways of thinking and perceiving, which leave the person isolated
  • some clients believe that these disorders are actually related to schizophrenia and thus call them schizophrenia-spectrum disorders
  • people w/ these disorders rarely seek treatment
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14
Q

what is another name for odd personality disorders?

A

schizophrenia-spectrum disorders

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15
Q

paranoid personality disorder

A
  • characterized by deep distrust/suspicion of others
  • inaccurate but not delusional
  • people often remain cold and distant
  • unable to recognize their own mistakes and are extremely sensitive to criticism
  • they often blame others for the things that go wrong in their lives and repeatedly bear grudges
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16
Q

treatments for paranoid personality disorder

A
  • few people come to treatment willingly
  • those in treatment often distrust and rebel against their therapists
  • behavioral/cognitive therapists try to help clients control anxiety and improve interpersonal skills
  • cognitive therapists also try to restructure clients maladaptive assumptions and interpretations
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17
Q

schizoid personality disorder

A
  • characterized by persistent avoidance of social relationships and limited emotional expression
  • do not have close ties w/ other people/ genuinely prefer to be alone
  • often seen as flat, cold, humorless, or dull
  • thoughts tend to be vague and empty
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18
Q

treatments for schizoid personality disorder

A
  • social withdrawal prevents most from entering therapy; they seem to not care about treatment & make limited progress at best
  • cognitive-behavioral therapists try to help people experience more + emotions & more satisfying social interactions
  • cognitive end focuses on thinking about emotions
  • behavioral end focuses on the teaching of social skills (individually or in group therapy)
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19
Q

schizotypal personality disorder

A
  • range of interpersonal problems, extreme discomfort in close relationships, odd (even bizarre) ways of thinking, and behavioral eccentricities
  • difficulty keeping attention focused; conversation typically digressive & vague, even sprinkled w/ loose associations
  • tend to drift aimlessly and lead unproductive lives, choosing undemanding jobs in which they are not required to interact w/ other people
20
Q

how do theorists explain schizotypal personality disorder?

A
  • causal factors in schizotypal personality disorder may be similar to those involved in schizophrenia
  • for example, researchers have begun to link schizotypal personality disorder to high dopamine activity
21
Q

treatments for schizotypal personality disorder

A
  • cognitive-behavioral therapists try to teach clients to objectively evaluate their thoughts and perceptions and provide social skills training
  • antipsychotic drugs may be somewhat helpful in reducing certain thought problems
22
Q

Dramatic personality disorders

A
  • antisocial, borderline, histrionic, and narcissistic personality disorders
  • the behaviors are so emotional or erratic that it is almost impossible for them to have satisfying relationships
  • these personality disorder s are more commonly diagnosed than the others
  • only antisocial and borderline personality disorders have received much study
  • causes of these disorders are not well understood
23
Q

how common are dramatic personality disorders?

A
  • these are more diagnosed than others

- only antisocial and borderline personality disorders have received much study

24
Q

antisocial personality disorder

A
  • previously referred to as psychopaths/sociopaths
  • persistent disregard for rules and other persons rights
  • personality disorder most linked to adult criminal behavior
  • people w/ this disorder are likely to lie repeatedly, be reckless, and impulsive
  • have little regard for other individuals, and can be cruel, sadistic, aggressive, and violent
  • 4 times more common in men than women
25
Q

what is the ratio of antisocial personality disorder for men & women

A

4x more common in men than women

26
Q

how do theorists explain antisocial personality disorder?

A
  • behaviorists argue that antisocial symptoms are learned through modeling or reinforcement
  • a # of studies suggest biological factors: lower levels of serotonin, impacting impulsivity & aggression
  • deficient functioning in frontal lobes of brain
  • lower levels of anxiety/arousal, leading them to be more likely than others to take risks and seek thrills
27
Q

treatments for antisocial personality disorder

A
  • treatments typically not effective
  • major obstacle is the individuals lack of desire to change
  • most have been forced into treatment
  • some cognitive therapists try to guide clients to think about moral issues and the needs of others
  • atypical antipsychotic drugs have been tried but w/ little evidence of efficacy
28
Q

borderline personality disorder

A
  • immense emotional and behavioral instability
  • behaviors can include alcohol/substance abuse, reckless behavior (including driving and unsafe sex), self-injurious or self-mutilation behavior, suicidal threats/actions
  • frequently form intense conflict-ridden relationships
  • women w/ BPD are 3 times more likely than men
29
Q

how do theorists explain borderline personality disorder?

A
  • object-relations theorists propose a lack of early acceptance or abuse/neglect by parents
  • research has found some support for this view, including a link to early sexual abuse
  • some features of BPD have also been linked to biological abnormalities such as an overly reactive amygdala and an underactive prefrontal cortex
  • close relatives of those w/ BPD are 5x more likely than the general population to have the disorder
30
Q

treatments for Borderline personality disorder

A
  • an integrative treatment called dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) has received strong research support
  • based largely on cognitive-behavioral treatment but borrows from humanistic & mindfulness approaches
  • DBT is often supplemented by the clients participation in social skill-building groups
  • various meds (for anxiety, depression, psychotic symptoms) have helped w/ BPD to achieve greater calm
31
Q

Histrionic personality disorder

A
  • extremely emotional and continually seek to be the center of attention
  • often engage in attention-getting behaviors and are always on stage
  • often described as vain, self-centered, demanding
  • their behaviors to gain attention can be dramatic and self-destructive (as in suicidal threats)
32
Q

how do theorists explain histrionic personality disorder?

A
  • psychodynamic theorists propose that to defend against deep-seated fears of loss, individuals learn to behave dramatically, inventing crises that require people to act protectively
  • behaviorists similarly argue that histrionic behaviors are acquired through modeling and reinforcement
  • cognitive theorists propose faulty learning of expectations (fearing inability to care for oneself and hence desperately seeking attention from others)
33
Q

treatments for histrionic personality disorder

A
  • compared to other disorders, persons w/ histrionic personality disorder are more likely to seek treatment on their own
  • cognitive therapists try to help them develop better, more deliberate ways of thinking and solving problems
  • psychodynamic therapy and group therapy try to help clients deal w/ their dependency
  • drug therapy is less successful, except to relieve the depression experienced by some patients
34
Q

narcissistic personality disorder

A
  • grandiose, need much admiration, feel no empathy w/ others
  • exaggerate achievements & talents, seem arrogant
  • seldom interested in feelings of others
  • many take advantage of others to achieve their own ends
  • symptoms overlap w/ antisocial personality disorder
35
Q

treatments for narcissistic personality disorder

A
  • one of the most difficult personality patterns to treat
  • individuals w/ narcissism are unlikely to pursue treatment on their own
  • none of the major treatment approaches have had much success
36
Q

anxious personality disorders

A
  • avoidant, dependent, obsessive-compulsive personality disorders
  • display anxious and fearful behavior
  • many of the symptoms are similar to those of anxiety and depressive disorders
  • research is limited: but treatments for this cluster appear to be moderately helpful and better than for other personality disorders
37
Q

avoidant personality disorder

A
  • intensely uncomfortable in social situations, overwhelmed by feelings of inadequacy, extremely sensitive to negative evaluation
  • similar to social anxiety disorder; many people w/ one disorder experience the other
  • similarities between the 2 disorders include a fear of humiliation and low self-confidence
  • a key difference: people w/ social anxiety disorder mainly fear social circumstances, whereas people w/ avoidant personality disorder tend to fear close social relationships
38
Q

how do theorists explain avoidant personality disorder?

A

-theorists often assume that avoidant personality disorder has the same causes as anxiety disorders, including:

  • early trauma
  • conditioned fears
  • upsetting beliefs
  • biochemical abnormalities
39
Q

treatments for avoidant personality disorder

A
  • therapists tend to treat the disorder as they treat social phobia/anxiety
  • group therapy formats, especially cognitive-behavioral groups, help by providing practice in social interactions (these treatments have had modest success)
  • anti-anxiety and anti-depressant drugs are also sometimes useful
40
Q

dependent personality disorder

A
  • persons have a pervasive, excessive need to be taken care of; they are clingy, obedient, fearing separation from their care provider
  • rely on others so much that they cannot make the smallest decision for themselves
  • they are at risk for depression (including suicidal thoughts), anxiety, and eating disorders
41
Q

how do theorists explain dependent personality disorder?

A
  • object-relations theorists propose that early parental loss or rejection leads to lingering fears of abandonment
  • other theorists argue that parents were overinvolved & overprotective, increasing their childrens dependency
  • behaviorists emphasize failure to learn independent coping skills, and reinforcement of dependent behaviors
42
Q

treatments for dependent personality disorder

A
  • psychodynamic therapy focuses on many of the same issues as therapy for people w/ depression
  • cognitive-behavioral therapists try to help clients challenge and change their assumptions of helplessness and provide assertiveness training
  • antidepressant drug therapy has ben helpful for those whose disorder is accompanied by depression
43
Q

obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

A
  • people w/ obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCD) are so preoccupied w/ order, perfection and control that they lose all flexibility, openness, and efficiency
  • compulsiveness: preoccupation w/ order and control
  • obsessiveness: rumination, inability to reach decisions
  • obsessive-compulsive personality disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder (the anxiety disorder) may be closely related
44
Q

how do we explain & treat obsessive-compulsive personality disorder?

A
  • most explanations of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder borrow heavily from those of obsessive-compulsive (anxiety) disorder
  • cognitive-behavioral treatments focus on challenging irrational fears
  • behavioral treatments emphasize exposure and response prevention (ERP)
  • some evidence indicates efficacy of SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)
45
Q

additional considerations

A
  • gender & other cultural differences may be important in the development and diagnosis of some personality disorder
  • e.g. histrionic, borderline, & antisocial personality disorders
  • the DSM-5 proposes 5 underlying dimensions to personality disorders:
  • negative affectivity, detachment, antagonism, disinhibition, and psychoticism

Abnormal Psychology (8 decks)

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