Personality and dissociative disorder (15.2)

Question 1

antisocial personality disorder (APD)

Answer 1

A profound lack of empathy or emotional connection with others, a disregard for others’ rights or preferences, and a tendency toward imposing one’s own desires, often violently, onto others regardless of the consequences for other people or, often when younger, other animals.

Question 2

Avoidant Personality Disorder (AvPD)

Answer 2

Individuals avoid social interactions, including those at school or work, because they feel inadequate and are deeply afraid of being rejected.

Question 3

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

Answer 3

A disorder characterized by intense extremes between positive and negative emotions, an unstable sense of self, impulsivity, and difficult social relationships.

Question 4

Dependent Personality Disorder (DPD)

Answer 4

An excessive need to be taken care of, often requiring frequent assurance from others and help with everyday decision making.

Question 5

Dissociative Disorder

Answer 5

A category of mental disorders characterized by a split between conscious awareness and their feelings, cognitions, memory, and identity.

Question 6

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID); sometimes referred to as multiple personality disorder)

Answer 6

A person experiences a split in identity such that they feel different aspects of themselves as though they were separates from each other; this can be severe enough that the person constructs entirely separate personalities, only one of which will generally be in control at a time.

Question 7

Histrionic Personality Disorder (HPD)

Answer 7

Characterized by excessive attention seeking and dramatic behaviour.

Question 8

Multiple Personality Disorder

Answer 8

A person experiences a split in identity such that they feel different aspects of themselves as though they were separated from each other; this can be severe enough that the person constructs entirely separate personalities, only one of which will generally be in control at a time.

Question 9

Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD)

Answer 9

characterized by an inflated sense of self-importance and an excessive need for attention and admiration, as well as intense self-doubt and fear of abandonment.

Question 10

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCD)

Answer 10

A disorder in which individuals are perfectionists who are unusually focused on details, organization, and productivity; these individuals also tend to avoid spending money or throwing out old, worthless objects.

Question 11

Paranoid Personality Disorder (PDP)

Answer 11

Individuals are consistently preoccupied by the belief that other people are attempting to harm or deceive them; they often react with anger to these imagined social or physical threats.

Question 12

Personality Disorders

Answer 12

particularly unusual patterns of behaviour (relative to one’s cultural context), that are maladaptive, distressing to oneself or others, and resistant to change.

Question 13

Schizoid Personality Disorder

Answer 13

an individual is socially detached; they do not desire close relationships, including being part of a family, and take little pleasure in most activities.

Question 14

Schizotypal Personality Disorder

Answer 14

a discomfort with close relationships as well as unusual or eccentric thought and behaviours.

Question 15

understand how different types of personality disorders can affect interpersonal relationships.

Answer 15

many personality disorders have negative effects on interpersonal relationships. the cluster A disorders (paranoid, schizoid, and schizotypal) generally involve unusual ways of interpreting social situations. this can lead to difficulties in accurately communicating with other people.

Question 16

analyze the status of dissociative identity disorder as a legitimate diagnosis.

Answer 16

it is important to find evidence for difference between alternate personalities that cannot be faked by people or created artificially. recent research in brain imaging is beginning to look for different patterns of neurological activity that could denote distinct personalities; however, more research is needed in this area.