Lecture 7: Personality Disorders Flashcards
personality disorder definition
an enduring pattern of inner experience and behaviour that deviated markedly from the norms and expectations of the individuals culture, is pervasive and inflexible, has an onset in adolescence or early adulthood, is stable over time, and leads to distress or impairment.
personality disorders prevalence
data is lacking for Canadian stats
- 0.5% to 2.5% of the general population (US)
origins of personality disorders
- thought to begin in childhood
- tend to run a chronic course if untreated
the big five of personality
- extraversion
- agreeableness
- conscientiousness
- emotional stability (neurosity)
- openness to experience
three clusters of personality disorders
- Cluster A: odd or eccentric
- Cluster B: dramatic or emotional/erratic
- Cluster C: anxious or fearful
cluster A includes:
paranoid personality disorder
schizoid personality disorder
schizotypal personality disorder
Paranoid Personality Disorder Characteristics
- mistrustful and suspicious of others without justification
- mistrust extends to people close to them
- meaningful relationships are difficult
- argumentative, complain, or be quiet
- appear tense
- cognitive structure: people are malevolent and deceptive, they’ll attack you if they get the chance
Schizoid Personality Disorder Characteristics
- highly introverted
- loner
- does everything on their own
- detachments from social relationships
- limited range of emotions in interpersonal situations
-aloof, cold, indifferent - do not desire closeness with others
- social deficiencies
Schizotypal Personality Disorder Characteristics
- considered odd or bizarre because of how they relate to people, think and behave, and dress
- ideas of reference (they think events relate directly to them)
- odd beliefs or magical thinking
- suspicious and have paranoid thoughts
Difference between Schizoid and Schizotypal Disorder
Both do not have many personal relationships.
Schizoid ppl may have more justifiable reasons for this. Schizotypal ppl have odd thinking that distinguishes them from others.
E.g. Mr. S doesn’t have friends because he’d rather play chess. Mr. Z doesn’t have friends because he’s a vegetarian and is afraid of food contamination. - odd thinking and reasoning
Cluster B includes
- antisocial personality disorder
- borderline personality disorder
- histrionic personality disorder
- narcissistic personality disorder
Antisocial Personality Disorder Characteristics
- don’t care about the rules of society
- histories of violating rights of others
- failure to conform to social norms
- lying, cheating
- impulsivity and failure to plan ahead
What is Psychopathy?
antisocial personality disorder plus a bunch of personality traits
- based on personality AND behaviour
- lack of empathy, callousness, parasitic lifestyle, high-risk behaviours, lying, cheating)
What is a subclinical psychopath?
- can be any “normal person” who has never been caught doing anything illegal
- they have a behaviour where they leave a path of destruction behind them
- lie, cheat, etc. to get whatever they want
- subclinical = never been diagnosed
what is the Under-arousal Hypothesis?
some individuals don’t actually emote much; they are under aroused
- some may have to do some very extreme behaviours to become aroused (e.g. kill someone)
Borderline Personality Disorder Characteristics
- one of the most common personality disorders
- very turbulent relationships - fear of abandonment but lacking control over emotions
- person may claim they feel dysregulated
- often engage in self-mutilation/suicidal behaviours
- intense, move from anger to depression quickly
- identity disturbance, unstable self-image of sense of self
- impulsivity
- empty feelings, chronically bored, trouble with their identity
- linked to mood disorders
- easily break up with people or end friendships
Histrionic Personality Disorder Characteristics
- inclined to express their emotions in exaggerated fashion
- dramatization of emotions
- vain, self-centered, uncomfortable when not in limelight
- seductive in appearance and behaviour
- concerned about looks
- reassurance and approval constantly
- angry when not praised
- impulsive, unable to delay gratification
- speech often vague and lacking detail
- overdiagnosed in women
Narcissistic Personality Disorder Characteristics
- unreasonable sense of self-importance
- so pre-occupied with themselves, they lack compassion and sensitivity for others
- uncomfortable unless being admired
- grandiosity
- require and expect a great deal of attention
- use or exploit others for their own interests and show little empathy
- can be extremely envious and arrogant when confronted with other successful people
- lack empathy
- frequently depressed because they fail to live up to their expectations
Cluster C includes
- avoidant personality disorder
- dependent personality disorder
- obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
Avoidant Personality Disorder Characteristics
- extremely sensitive to the opinions of others
- avoid most relationships
- low self-esteem, fear of rejection
- limited in friendships and very dependent on those they are comfortable with
- not like the schizoid who is asocial because prefers to be alone
- feel chronically rejected by others and pessimistic about their future
Dependent Personality Disorder Characteristics
- difficulty making everyday decisions without the need of reassurance from others
- sometimes agree with others when own opinion differs so as not to be rejected
- deeply desire to obtain and maintain supportive and nurturing relationships
- submissiveness, timidity, and passivity
- similar to avoidant in some ways but tend to cling to relationships
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder Characteristics
- preoccupied with details, rules, lists, order, organization to the extent that the major point of the activity is lost
- perfectionism interferes with task completion
- excessively devoted to work and productivity to exclusion of leisure and friendship
- overconscientious, scrupulous, and inflexible about matters of morality, ethics, or values
- unable to discard worn-out/worthless objects even if no sentimental value
- reluctant to delegate tasks or work with others
- rigidity and stubbornness
