Chapter 6 - Personality Disorders Flashcards
(28 cards)
what are the characteristics of personality disorders?
- disordered personality traits become evident by adolescences or early adulthood and continue through much of adult life
- become so deeply ingrained they are highly resistant to change
what puts children at a greater-than-average risk for developing personality disorders?
children with childhood behaviour problems such as conduct disorder, depression, anxiety, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and attention problems are at a greater risk
what are the three clusters of personality disorders in the DSM?
- cluster A: people who are perceived as odd or eccentric
- cluster B: people whose behaviour is overly dramatic, emotional, or erratic
- cluster C: people who often appear anxious or fearful
which personality disorders fall into Cluster A?
- paranoid personality disorder
- schizoid personality disorder
- schizotypal personality disorder
which personality disorders fall into Cluster B?
- antisocial personality disorder
- borderline personality disorder
- histrionic personality disorder
- narcissistic personality disorder
which personality disorders fall into Cluster C?
- avoidant personality disorder
- dependent personality disorder
- obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
what is the prevalence of paranoid personality disorder?
- 2.3%-4.4%
- more common in men
what is the prevalence of schizoid personality disorder?
3.1%-4.9%
what is the prevalence of schizotypal personality disorder?
3%
what is the prevalence of antisocial personality disorder?
- 4.3%
- more common in men
- 2nd most frequent disorder (44.1%) in Canadian male offenders
what are the characteristics of borderline personality disorder?
- fear of abandonment
- feelings towards others are intense and shifting
- tend to view other people as all good or all bad
what is the prevalence of borderline personality disorder?
1.6-5.9% of the general population and about 20% of psychiatric inpatients
why might people with borderline personality disorder engage in impulsive acts of self-mutilation/self-harm?
- means of temporarily blocking or escaping from deep, emotional pain
- expression of anger
- means of manipulating others
what is the prevalence of narcissistic personality disorder?
- 0-6.2%
- more than half of people diagnosed are men
what are the characteristics of narcissistic personality disorder?
- preoccupied with fantasies of success and power, ideal love, or recognition for brilliance or beauty
- sense of entitlement leads them to exploit others
- treat sex partners as devices for their own pleasure or to brace their self-esteem
what is the prevalence of avoidant personality disorder?
- 2.4%
- equally common in both men and women
what is the prevalence of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder?
- 2.1-7.9%
- twice as common in men
what are the problems associated with the classification of personality disorders?
- lack of demonstrated reliability and validity
- overlap among disorders
- difficulty in distinguishing between variations in normal and abnormal behaviour
- sexist biases
psychodynamic perspective of personality disorders
- traditional Freudian theory focused on unresolved Oepidal conflicts in explaining normal and abnormal personality development
- more recent psychodynamic theories focus on the development of the sense of self in explaining disorders such as narcissistic and borderline personality disorders
main professional psychodynamic theories
- Hans Kohut: self psychology
- Otto Kernberg: splitting
- Margaret Mahler: separation-individuation
learning perspectives of personality disorders
- view personality disorders in terms of maladaptive patterns of behaviour rather than personality traits
- interested in defining the learning histories and situational factors that give rise to maladaptive behaviour and the reinforcers that maintain them
family perspectives of personality disorders
- disturbances in family relationships underlie the development of personality disorders
- a number of researchers have linked a history of physical or sexual abuse or neglect in childhood to the development of personality disorders
- extreme fears of abandonment may result from a failure to develop a secure parental attachment
cognitive-behavioural perspectives of personality disorders
- observation and imitation
- cognitive-behaviour oriented psychologists have shown that the ways in which people with personality disorders interpret their social experiences influence their behaviour
- antisocial adolescents are more likely to interpret social cues as provocations or intentions of ill will
biological perspectives of personality disorders
- genetics plays a role in the development of traits that underlie personality disorders
- people with a genetic predisposition for these traits may be more vulnerable if they encounter environmental influences, such as being reared in a dysfunctional family
- genetically based behaviour can dictate what environments a person will seek out
