Week 12 - Personality

Question 1

What is personality?

Answer 1

Aka “character”

Traits/tendencies that’s influence our thoughts, feelings and behaviour

Is flexible, NOT deterministic..
Different instances/circumstances

Question 2

What does it become a “personality disorder”?

Answer 2

When personality becomes to rigid and extreme

Question 3

What are the two meanings of “character”?

(In terms of fictional characters)

Answer 3

1) Often have exaggerated/rigid character

2) Often deterministic

***WE NOTICE WHEN CHARACTERS ACT “OUT OF CHARACTER”

***SOMETIMES WRITERS MAKE USE OF THIS

Question 4

What is the “narrative spectrum”?

Who was its proposed by?

Answer 4

Sociologist/Sci-fi author Malka Older

When we become attuned to PATTERNS of narrative and characterization in FICTION, we might start to EXPECT them or read them into our REAL lives as well

Question 5

What is the reality about “fictional characters” and how they relate to us?

Answer 5

That we are NOT fictional characters!

We are not “characters” at all, EXCEPT when people expect certain things about ourselves

ONLY when a character becomes too RIGID that it’s may become a problem for ourselves or others

Question 6

True or false. Personality disorders were thought to be extremely stable and resistant to change. However, recent evidence shows this may not be the case.

Answer 6

TRUE

Disorders are actually LESS STABLE than traits

Symptoms generally IMPROVE over time

Question 7

What are the 2 main ways to measure personality?

Answer 7

1) Categorical:
Each person has a particular “type” of personality, specific cluster of traits

2) Dimensional:
Traits are independent of one another, vary among a spectrum

Question 8

How does the DSM-V view the categorical personality classification?

Answer 8

It classifies personality whether you have the disorder (and belong in the category), OR you don’t

Convenient for treatment

Popular conceptualization, example type A or B

Question 9

How does the DSM cluster the 10 personality disorders into 3 types?

Answer 9

1) CLUSTER A:
- “odd-eccentric”, paranoid

2) CLUSTER B:
- “dramatic-erratic”, antisocial

3) CLUSTER C:
- “anxious-fearful”, obsessive compulsive

Question 10

Personality disorders are approximately __.__% of the population

Answer 10

7.8%

Question 11

True or false. Personality disorders have a higher prevalence in high-income countries

If true, why?

Answer 11

True

May be due to SOCIOECONOMIC/CULTURAL factors

Question 12

In what ways do personality disorders cost individuals/society?

Answer 12

1) impaired social status (decrease employment/marriage)

2) impaired functioning ^

3) possibly associated with crime, violence, substance abuse etc…

Question 13

What does cluster A show?

Answer 13

Show symptoms similar to SCHIZOPHRENIA, but MILDER

Tendency towards paranoia & social withdrawal

Common in people with family historic of schizophrenia/mood disorders

Question 14

What is the most common disorder in type A?

Answer 14

Schizoid personality disorder:
-avoidance of relationships/lack of expression
-preference to be alone
- “loners”

Treatment:
- CBT (emotional recall, social skills training, group therapy)

Low amount of data (might be dropped from manual)

***PEOPLE TYPICALLY VERY RELUCTANT TO ENTER THERAPY

Question 15

What does cluster B show?

Answer 15

Exhibit dramatic, emotional, and chaotic behaviour = disrupts relationship w/ others

Question 16

What is the most common disorder in type B?

Answer 16

Antisocial personality disorder:
- closely linked to CRIMINAL behaviour (40%-60% male prisoners
- lack of empathy, repeated violation/disregard others
- lying & recklessness
- substance use common
- prison enviro VS personal factors?

Possible psychodynamic (socioeconomic stressors) cognitive-behavioural (operant conditioning) and biological factors (impaired executive functioning)

***NO GENERALLY RELIABLE TREATMENT AVAILABLE

Question 17

What does cluster C show?

Answer 17

Display anxious and fearful behaviour

Behavioural inhibition

People with anxiety disorder more LIKELY to have this

Question 18

What is the most common disorder in type C?

Answer 18

Obsessive-compulsive disorder:
- preoccupation w/ perfection, order and control
- complete tasks slowly/not at all
- inability to trust own/others work
- behaviourally inhibited

Possible psychodynamic (early parental figures = anger), cognitive-behavioural (maladaptive thinking)

***TREATMENT CONSISTS OF PSYCOANALYSIS AND CBT

Question 19

What is dimensional personality also called?

Answer 19

“The big five”

Neuroticism, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and openness to experience (sometimes called intellect / imagination)

Individuals rate themselves, or someone else does it

Self-rating is valid and reliable over time

Question 20

What are some problems with “the big five”?

Answer 20

Questions are SIMPLE , RELATIONAL and NON-CONDITIONAL

“Psychology of the stranger”

The more FAMILIAR we are with someone, the less VALUE the model has to us

Question 21

What is the “dark triad”?

Low score VS high score?

Answer 21

Consist of 3 dimensions:

1) narcissism

2) psychopathy

3) Machiavellianism

Most people score LOW or MODERATE on this scale

People who score HIGH, tend to be ANTI-SOCIAL/SELF-INTERESTED

Question 22

Who is Niccolo Machiavelli?

Answer 22

Born in Florence

Most famous book ‘The Prince”

Disputes medieval /religious associations b/w MORAL goodness and POLITICAL AUTHORITY

AUTHORITY depends on POWER & ability to ENFORCE

FEAR preferable to AFFECTION

Question 23

True or false. The creators of “the big five” prefer a dimensional scale over a categorical scale for personality disorders

Answer 23

True

Question 24

What is the Alternative Model of Personality Disorders (AMPD)?

Answer 24

The CURRENT DSM-V-TR contains a proposed scheme which might ultimately REPLACE the categorical classifications currently used

They propose 5 clusters of traits which are especially likely to be problematic: negative affect,
detachment, antagonism, disinhibition, and psychoticism

Question 25

What are the 3 steps in AMPD?

Answer 25

1) identify dysfunction

2) assess the clients traits on a DIMENSIONAL scale

3) If the ratings match a SPECIFIC diagnosis, ex. BPD then they receive that diagnosis. If the ratings don’t match a diagnosis, they receive the “Personality Disorder – trait specified” diagnosis, with the dysfunctional trait specified

4) apply inclusion/exclusion criteria

Question 26

What is a concern with diagnosing personality disorders?

Answer 26

Concerns about LOW inter-rater reliability; different clinicians might give the same patient DIFFERENT ratings, leading to DIFFERENT diagnoses

Concerns that criteria are too LOOSE