Personality Extremes Flashcards
what constitutes a personality disorder?
- an unusually extreme and problematic degree of one or more attributes of personality
- an enduring pattern of inner experience and behaviour that deviates markedly from the norms and expectations of the individual’s culture
- also involves impaired social relations - is pervasive, inflexible, and is stable over time
- has an onset in adolescence or early adulthood
- extreme high or low expression of any/all big five trait can result in a disorder
- symptoms can be viewed as maladaptive variations of traits, emotions, cognitions, motives, and self-concept
how can we define what is abnormal?
can be defined as something different from normal (statistical), or by considering social standards and norms (social), or a person having attitudes and perceptions that don’t line up with reality (psychological)
how are personality disorders ego-syntonic?
- people identify with the behaviours and experiences that result from their disorder
- see those things as normal and consistent with their ideal image
- less likely to believe they have a problem
how does culture, age, and gender affect what we consider abnormal?
- some cultures have different ideas of what is considered abnormal
- need to understand someone’s cultural background before any evaluation of personality disorder
- can’t diagnose anyone under 18 because their personality is changing and developing
- there may be underlying sex differences in how people cope which results in different number of diagnoses between men and women
what personality disorders are included in cluster A of the DSM?
- the “eccentric” cluster: people appear odd and eccentric (unusual)
- paranoid personality disorder
- schizoid personality disorder
- schizotypal personality disorder
what is paranoid personality disorder?
- a pattern of distrust and suspiciousness
- others’ motives are interpreted as malicious
- persistently bears grudges
- perceives attacks on their character or reputation
- paranoia is not based on reality but also not completely delusional
- can be hostile and argumentative
what is schizoid personality disorder?
- a pattern of detachment from social relationships
- restricted range of emotional expression
- doesn’t desire or enjoy close relationships
- prefers solitary activities
- emotional coldness, detachment, flattened emotions
what is schizotypal personality disorder?
- patter of discomfort in close relationships
- cognitive or perceptual distortions
- eccentricities of behaviour and appearance
- excessive social anxiety that doesn’t diminish
- odd beliefs, finding meaning in unusual things
- suspicious or paranoid ideation
- inappropriate or constricted emotion
- similar to schizophrenia but without psychotic symptoms
what personality disorders are included in cluster B of the DSM?
- the “erratic” cluster: persons with these disorders appear erratic and emotional
- antisocial personality disorder
- borderline personality disorder
- histrionic personality disorder
- narcissistic personality disorder
what is antisocial personality disorder?
- a pattern of disregard for, and violation of the rights of others
- criminality, impulsivity
- failure to learn from experience
- failure to conform to social norms and laws
- they must be 18, and must be evidence of conduct disorder before age 15
what is conduct disorder
the expression of problematic and antisocial behaviour in childhood
what is psychopathy? how does is differ from sociopathy?
- similar to antisocial personality disorder but more severe and emphasizes subjective traits
- incapacity to feel guilt, superficial charm, and callous social attitudes
- sociopaths - less organized/more obvious in behaviour, less violent, maintain some emotions
what is the triarchic model of psychopathy?
boldness, meanness, and disinhibition
- boldness and lack of inhibition are related to brain circuits that process rewards
are psychopathy and antisocial personality disorder due to nature or nurture?
- evidence that they have a reduced fear response
- less coordinated activity between amygdala and prefrontal cortex (functional and structural differences)
- psychopathic offenders displayed less of the eye-blink effect but said they were equally distressed as non-psychopathic offenders
- heritability of APD/psychopathy traits in twin studies estimated at 69%
- or maybe psychopathy is the result of desensitization process - people with APD/psychopathy are more likely to have been abused early in life
what is the risk of confinement for people with antisocial personality disorder and/or psychopathy?
- about 50% of people with APD have arrest records
- prevalence of APD among prisoners is 50%, up to 70–100% of male prisoners
- yet only 25–28% of men in prison would be described as psychopaths
- those with psychopathy are more likely to recidivate (relapse) after their release
- right now, confinement is the only solution to psychopathy
what is the concept of successful psychopaths?
- can be defined as the absence of negative consequences, presence of positive outcomes/successes, or both
- intelligence, higher executive functioning, and charisma makes some more successful
- common for successful psychopaths to participate in white collar crimes
- of 261 corporate professionals, 21% had clinically significant levels of psychopathic traits (we estimate 3-21% are psychopaths)
what is borderline personality disorder?
- a pattern of instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affects
- marked impulsivity (changes between neurosis and psychosis)
- unstable, intense relationships; frantic efforts to avoid abandonment
- self-damaging impulsivity (spending, sex, substance abuse).
- recurrent suicidal or self-harming behaviour, sometimes for manipulation
- stress-related paranoia & dissociative symptoms
how are ambiguous faces interpreted by people with borderline personality disorder?
- rate neutral faces as an emotion, and mild emotions as intense emotions
- classify intense emotional expressions quickly and accurately
- less accurately classified facial expression that were neutral or mildly sad
what is histrionic personality disorder?
- a pattern of excessive emotionality and attention seeking
- inappropriate, sexually seductive/provocative behaviour
- self-dramatization, theatricality, and exaggerated emotions
- uncomfortable when not centre of attention
- rapidly shifting and shallow emotions; suggestible
what is narcissistic personality disorder?
- a pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of empathy
- fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty.
- believes they are special, unique; sense of entitlement; arrogance
- requires excessive admiration; envious of others
- interpersonally exploitative; lacks empathy.
what is alexithymia?
- difficulty identifying feelings, difficulty describing feelings to other people
- people have an externally bound cognitive style: tendency to focus on concrete aspects of life and avoid introspection
what is the effect of power in externalizing vs. internalizing disorders?
externalizing disorders are related to heightened status, dominance, and power
- involve an outward expression, in a way that affects other people
- antisocial personality disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, conduct disorder
internalizing disorders are related to subordination and submissiveness and the desire to avoid subordination
- effects are mainly internal
- anxiety, depression
what is hubris syndrome?
- as people gain power, they are more likely to express narcissistic traits
- could be a personality disorder that isn’t consistent along lifespan, but is determined by the circumstance
what personality disorders are included in cluster C of the DSM?
- the “anxious” cluster: persons appear anxious, fearful, and apprehensive
- avoidant personality disorder
- dependent personality disorder
- obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
what is the neurotic paradox?
although a behaviour pattern successfully solves one problem for the person, such as reducing or avoiding the source of anxiety, it may create or maintain another equally severe problem
- illustrated by personality disorders in cluster C
what is avoidant personality disorder?
- a pattern of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and hypersensitivity to negative evaluation
- avoids activities over fears of criticism, rejection, embarrassment
- inhibited in new relationships (fear of inadequacy)
what is dependent personality disorder?
- a pattern of submissive and clinging behaviour related to an excessive need to be taken care of
- difficulty making decisions on one’s own; uncomfortable when alone
- urgently seeks another relationship when one ends
- preoccupied with fears of being left to care for oneself
what is obsessive-compulsive personality disorder?
- a pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and control
- rigidity, stubbornness, perfectionism that interferes with task completion
- excessively devoted to work and productivity
- overly conscientious and inflexible in moral and ethical matters
how prevalent are personality disorders?
- 9-13% of the population meet the criteria for a personality disorder
- obsessive-compulsive personality disorder is the most prevalent, then narcissistic personality disorder (on self-report measures, narcissism is much less prevalent)
- largest sex difference in personality disorder is more men have antisocial personality disorder
what do we think causes personality disorders?
- abnormal psychology and psychopathology are highly descriptive disciplines
- the DSM does not take formal stances regarding the origin of disorders
- most research emphasizes either biological or social causes of personality disorders.
- heritability of PDs ranges from 24% to 77%
- childhood abuse, trauma, and neglect are common; in up to 72% of people with BPD
how do we treat personality disorders?
- treatment depends on diagnosis, severity of symptoms, and presence of other conditions
- some combinations of psychotherapeutic and pharmacological interventions is common
- therapy - to gain awareness of/manage symptom (cognitive-behavioural therapy, emotion-regulation therapy, schema therapy)
- medications to control more difficult symptoms (mood stabilizers, antidepressants, anti-psychotics, anxiolytics)
how successful are treatments of personality disorders?
- all PDs become less exaggerated in their expression as we age
- we get better at emotional regulation and managing disorders with time
- certain PDs (BPD - 89% of people) respond well to treatment and may remit over time
- psychosocial functioning may remain impaired (functioning in relationships)
how can we think of the following personality disorders in terms of expressions of the big five: borderline, avoidant, histrionic, obsessive-compulsive, schizoid, schizotypal?
- borderline = high neuroticism
- avoidant = extreme introversion + high neuroticism
- histrionic = extreme extraversion
- obsessive-compulsive = extreme conscientiousness
- schizoid = extreme introversion + low neuroticism
- schizotypal = introversion + high neuroticism + low agreeableness + extreme openness
how can antisocial personality disorder be thought of in terms of expression of the big 5 traits?
antisocial = low agreeableness, low conscientiousness, low neuroticism, high extraversion
what changes have been made to the DSM regarding personality disorders?
- four traditional personality disorders have been removed because they are not sufficiently coherent, common, or distinct from the others
- schizoid, histrionic, dependent, paranoid
- a person can still be diagnosed, but would be categorized as “personality disorder-trait specified”
- mainly characterized by impairments in personality functioning and pathological personality traits
what are the evaluations of pathological personality traits based on the big five?
- negative affectivity – feeling negative emotions (high neuroticism)
- detachment – emotional withdrawal/avoidance (low extraversion)
- antagonism – deceitfulness, manipulativeness (low agreeableness)
- disinhibition – carelessness, impulsiveness (low conscientiousness)
- psychoticism – bizarre thoughts or experience (high Openness)
what is positive psychology?
- concerned with character strengths and virtues: flourishing and thriving
- moves beyond simply treating mental illness and dysfunction
what are character strengths and virtues?
there are 6 classes of virtue (“core virtues”) that make up of twenty-four measurable character strengths
what is dispositional forgiveness?
- tendency for forgiveness of self, others, and/or situations; also receiving forgiveness
- associated with high agreeableness, low neuroticism, high conscientiousness, and high extraversion
- also correlated with positive affect and life satisfaction
- lower rumination, vengeance, hostility, anxiety, and depression
what is mindfulness? what traits are correlated with mindfulness?
- consists of a purposeful attention to and awareness of the present moment, approached with an attitude of openness, acceptance, and nonjudgment
- there are individual differences in trait mindfulness (low neuroticism, high conscientiousness, high agreeableness, and high openness)
- correlations could be bidirectional
- also correlated with higher resilience because it increases the likelihood of regulating emotions successfully
what is flow?
- a state of complete absorptionin work, play, or creative expression
- intense concentration, loss of self-awareness, loss of time and environmental awareness
- feeling perfectly challenged (neither bored nor overwhelmed)
what is an autotelic personality?
- a disposition to actively seek challenges and flow experiences
- correlated with low neuroticism and low agreeableness (low compliance and modesty)
- correlated with high conscientiousness and high extraversion
- correlations with openness are less consistent, may indicate that openness is a more cognitive trait while flow depends more on sensorimotor feedback
what are the three personality factors that business leaders value the most?
- drive
- open-mindedness
- creativity
how is the big five indicative of success?
- high conscientiousness is the most important factor in hirability and success
- also emotional stability and agreeableness
- good leadership is correlated with low neuroticism, high openness, high extraversion, and balanced levels of conscientiousness, and agreeableness (caring but strong)
what is the value of agreeableness?
- summary of 142 meta-analyses reporting effects of agreeableness for 275 variables (health and illness, performance, career success, leadership, turnover, social factors)
- agreeableness had effects in a desirable direction for 93% of variables examined
- in contrast to current idea that you need to be pushy in order to get promoted
what is the value of our differences?
- work teams that are more diverse in ethnicity and gender are more productive, innovative, financially successful, make smarter decisions
- in the short term, diversity can temporarily compromise health and wellbeing of society
- in the long term, there is a net gain
- strength lies in differences, not in similarities
