Personality Disorders

Question 1

Personality

Answer 1

A unique pattern of thoughts, feelings and behaviour, that is relatively stable across time and in different situations.

Question 2

Personality Disorders

Answer 2

Characterised by inflexible and maladaptive personality characteristics that interfere with functioning or cause significant personal distress.

Question 3

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Answer 3

Characterised by:

• an exaggerated sense of self-importance
• an overwhelming need for admiration from others
• a lack of empathy for or interest in others
• extreme sensitivity to criticism
• preoccupations with fantasies of power and success
• overestimation of personal qualities and achievements

Question 4

Borderline Personality Disorder

Answer 4

Characterised by:

• ongoing impulsivity and intense fluctuations in mood, self-image and relationships with others
• frequent feelings of depression, emptiness and fears of abandonment
• self-damaging behaviours

Question 5

Histrionic Personality Disorder

Answer 5

Characterised by continual attention-seeking behaviour, and exaggerated expression of emotions.

Question 6

Dependent Personality Disorder

Answer 6

Characterised by an over-reliance on others and reluctance to take responsibility for oneself.

Question 7

Paranoid Personality Disorder

Answer 7

Characterised by distrust and suspicion of others

Question 8

Anti-social Personality Disorder

Answer 8

Characterised by:

• disregard for the rights of others and the law
• irresponsibility
• a lack of remorse for wrongdoing
• impulsive and aggressive behaviour
• shallow emotions
• a lack of empathy for and loyalty towards others

Outside psychology, people with this disorder are often referred to as sociopaths or psychopaths. Between 1-3% of the general population has anti-social personality disorder, but it is diagnosed in 40-70% of prison inmates.

Question 9

Factors Contributing to Anti-social Personality Disorder

Answer 9

Biological
- Genes
- Brain structures: Frontal lobe and limbic system abnormalities
Psychological
- Emotional poverty
Social
- Family environment

Question 10

Genes

Answer 10

Twin and adoption studies suggest that anti-social personality disorder may have a genetic component. So far, geneticists have identified six genes associated with the development of psychopathic traits - however individuals with these traits may not be considered ‘psychopaths’.

Question 11

Brain Structure

Answer 11

Anti-social personality behaviour is associated with reduced frontal lobe activity.

• Lack of activity in the orbital cortex is particularly associated with psychopathic traits.
• May be the result of genetic programming or injury.

Reduced limbic system activity is thought to be responsible for the lack of fear of punishment and shallow emotions typical of people with anti-social personality disorder.

Question 12

Emotional Poverty

Answer 12

Describes the typical reduced depth of feelings experienced by people with anti-social personality disorder. Emotional poverty leads to a lack of empathy.

Question 13

Family Environment

Answer 13

Inadequate supervision, abuse, neglect, harsh and inconsistent discipline, etc are common in the family backgrounds of people diagnosed with anti-social personality disorder.