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Individual Differences > Lecture 6 Dark Side of Personality > Flashcards

Lecture 6 Dark Side of Personality Flashcards

Personality and Behaviour ii

1
Q

What is Psychopathology?

A

”…The study of psychological and behavioural
dysfunction occurring in mental disorder or in social disorganization [or such dysfunction per se…]. “

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2
Q

DSM-5: What is a personality disorder?

A
  • Lasting pattern of behaviour/ internal experience
  • Differentiated from individual’s culture

Impact on:
* Affect
* Cognition
* Impulse control
* Relationships

Diagnostic caveats: The 4 Ds
* Duration? (NB onset)
* Diffuse contexts
* Distress/Disability
* Differential Diagnosis

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3
Q

How were personality disorders previously defined?

A
  • Previously defined by clusters
    Useful way to conceptualize these…
  • Cluster A
    ->Withdrawn/cold/suspicious/irrational
  • Cluster B
    ->Theatrical/emotional/
    attention-seeking/shallow
  • Cluster C
    ->Anxious/tense/ over-controlled
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4
Q

What are the Cluster A Personality Disorders?

A

Schizotypal, Paranoid, Schizoid

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5
Q

Schizotypal personality disorder

A
  • Difficult relationships
  • Odd or strange
    behaviour
  • Uncomfortable in
    social contexts
  • Suspicious
  • Unusual perceptions
    & thinking
  • Eccentric speech
  • Inappropriate affect
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6
Q

Paranoid personality disorder

A
  • Suspicious
  • Quick to take offence
  • Few close friends
  • Quick to assume
    hidden meaning
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7
Q

Schizoid personality disorder

A
  • Little interest in
    relationships
  • Restricted
    emotional range
  • Solitary-avoiding
    relationships
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8
Q

What are the Cluster B Personality Disorders?

A

Histrionic, Narcissistic, Antisocial, Borderline

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9
Q

Histrionic personality disorder

A
  • Overly emotional
  • Vague
  • Desperate for attention
  • Need constant reassurance- often
    re appearance
  • Self-centred
  • Sexually seductive
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10
Q

Narcissistic personality disorder

A
  • Self-important & manipulative
  • Preoccupied with envy, fantasy
    and rumination
  • Sense of
    entitlement/uniqueness
  • Lack of compassion
  • Need constant admiration
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11
Q

Antisocial personality disorder

A
  • Irresponsible, often criminal
    behaviour
  • Starts- childhood/early adolescence
  • Behavioural markers of truancy,
    absconding, cruelty, violence, lying
    & theft
  • Adult behaviour marked by
    impulsivity & lack of remorse
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12
Q

Borderline personality disorder

A
  • Impulsive
  • Self-harming behaviour
  • Unstable affect
  • Intense inappropriate anger
  • Feel empty & bored
  • Frantic avoidance of
    abandonment
  • Uncertainty about self & others
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13
Q

What are the Cluster C Personality Disorders?

A

Avoidant, Dependent, Obsessive/Compulsive

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14
Q

Avoidant personality disorder

A
  • Timid
  • Easily offended
    or wounded
  • Fear embarrassment
    & appearing foolish
  • No or few close
    friends
  • Exaggerate risks of
    deviating from
    routine
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15
Q

Dependent personality type

A
  • Overwhelming need for
    approval
  • Paralyses independent
    decisions/actions
  • Indiscriminate
    agreement
  • Fear
    abandonment/isolation
    / end of r’ships
  • Easily hurt by criticism
  • Actions to ‘curry favour’
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16
Q

Obsessive/Compulsive personality disorder

A

Perfectionism
* Rigidity in
approach
* Workaholic
* Indecisive
* Over-meticulous
* Insistent method
* Poor at emotion
expression

17
Q

How can we define dysfunction in personality types?

A
  • Inherent value judgement?
    – Societal?
    – Cultural?
    – Individual?
  • Specific example
    (The Authoritarian Personality)
    – Historical/contextual emergence
    – Components of typology
    – Evaluation…
18
Q

The Authoritarian Personality Type (Adorno et al., 1950) Emerged…

A

Emerged from Berkeley studies in 1940s…
* Are some individuals more
susceptible to extremist ideology?
* How does this explain
subsequent behaviour?

19
Q

What is the Authoritarian Personality Type?

A
  • Obedience to authority
  • Belief in own authority
  • Rigid or oppressive treatment
    of subordinates
  • Strict adherence to rules
  • Hostility/aggression towards the ‘different other’
  • Conventional norms
  • Cynical views of human nature
  • Opposition to subjective/intraceptive tendencies
  • Superstition
  • Exaggerated moral stance
20
Q

Links with earlier personality theory? - Authoritarian personality type

A
  • Coined from earlier work by Fromm (1941,1942, 1944)
  • Role of early experience
    – Parent-child relationship
    – Parent attitudes- directed
    towards child
    – Resentment builds in child…
    Psychoanalytic Perspective
    – Strict Superego Weak ego
    – Protection from Id
    – Insecurity arises from conflict
    – Projective defence mechanism
    Modified by Adler
    Central neurotic trait – the will to power over others
21
Q

How was the Authoritarian personality measured?

A

Four self-report questionnaire measures
Interviews
AS (Anti-Semitism) Scale
E (Ethnocentrism) Scale
PEC (Politico-Economic Conservatism) Scale
F (Potential for Fascism) Scale

22
Q

Rokeach (1960)’s revision to the Authoritarian personality

A

– Potential for Fascism -> Dogmatism
– Rejection of psychoanalytic approach
– Cognitive style…
– Less able to evaluate new or
contradictory information

23
Q

Altermeyer (1981)’s revisions for Authoritarian personality

A

– Original concept overly broad?
– Based on social learning theory
– Simplified into 3 factors
* Authoritarian Submission
* Authoritarian Aggression
* Conventionalism

24
Q

What is the Dark Triad?

A

Narcissism, Machiavellianism, & Psychopathy

25
Overview of The Dark Triad
* Series of studies from 1998-2002 * Hoskey et al. (1998a,b) * Paulus & Williams (2002) * Replication in Jakobwitz et al.(2006) * Clustering of 3 personality traits M + P N Characterized by… – Social malevolence – Self-promotion – Emotional Coldness – Duplicity – Aggression
26
So, why does the 'Dark Triadic' individual succeed?
* Often studied in the context of organizational behaviour (Jonsason et al., 2010) * Related to individuals AND organizations * Are they always the ‘bad guys’…? (James Bond)
27
Psychopath concept in culture
Terminology? In cultural ‘consciousness’ ? – Literature & film/tv – Popular psychology writing Prevalence in population (James, 2013) - 1% of population - Equates to 600k UK, 3 Mill. US citizens - 25% of UK prison population - But… Which means…?
28
Psychopathy- The Other as 'Object'
Overlap with Machiavellianism – Clinical vs subclinical? – Triad as a continuum? -> Three Main Components Immune to anxiety – Absence of stress – Impact of punishment? Absence of empathy – Evidence from neural ‘circuitry’ Adept at social cognition – Superficial charm and glibness – ‘Pushing the right buttons’
29
The Hare Psychopathy Checklist (PCL-R; Hare; 1991)
*Emerged from forensic work in the 1970s *20 Item inventory – ‘Observable’ personality traits – Peripheral records – Semi-structured interview *2 Factors -> 2 facets – Intrapersonal/ affective – Antisocial behaviour *2 additional items – Relationships /sexual behaviour
30
Narcissism Overview
Terminology from literature Classical mythology… Inflated self-estimation Often charming, extrovert Attention seeking ‘Stealing’ credit Chasing status & acclaim Self-deceptive & risky behaviours Uncomfortable in relationships – Warmth/intimacy/commitment ☒
31
Cultural & Contemporary Effects of Narcissism
Twenge et al., (2008) – 85 studies from 1979- 2006 – Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) (Raskin, Robert & Hall, 1979) – Increases in NPI scores – 15 % of US students (1979) – 24 % (2006) – Mysterious case of UC…? – Protective factors of culture/heritage – Some groups score lower! Average US undergrad scored at same levels as media/entertainment figure…
32
Can Narcissism be Healthy? (Twenge, 2010)
Extension of childlike egocentrism – ‘Centre of the universe’ – Matures into positive self regard – Confidence proportional to talent (Often absent with less self-confidence) Higher levels of life satisfaction Rated likeable on first impression Good performance in social situations Winners in brief competitive task But… Are differences in empathy key..?
33
Machiavellianism - 'The Mach'
Concept emerges from literature – The Prince (1532) – Innovative philosophical view of politics & ethics – Conflict with contemporaneous religious/ academic views Seizing and holding power, via cunning manipulation… Assumption that own interests are central Consideration of others?
34
What defines The Mach?
Game playing Resistance to social influences Convincing, without showing personal convictions Ready to change position/strategy Prefers fluid environment Exploitative (in degrees..) Suspicious of others’ motives No reciprocity/sensitivity to appeals Always malignant (triadic)? (Nelson Mandela, Ghandi) (James, 2013)
35
Contrast with Psychopaths & Narcissists
Shares many traits with other dimensions in the Dark Triad… Socially disagreeable & selfishness But connection with reality… Self & others… More effective exploitation Adaptive purpose?

Individual Differences (10 decks)

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