Five Factor Taxonomy & Personality Disorders

Five Factor Taxonomy & Personality Disorders

• Mean-level changes in the five-factor taxonomy are observed as a function of age. For example, conscientiousness typically increases from age 19 to 23.
• The maturity principle suggests that personality traits become more conscientious, dominant, agreeable, and emotionally stable as people age.
• Diagnostic criteria for personality disorders (PDs) encompass enduring patterns of inner experience and behavior that deviate significantly from cultural expectations. These patterns are pervasive and inflexible, impacting multiple areas of functioning (e.g., relationships, work).
• Symptoms of specific personality disorders (PDs) such as schizotypal, antisocial, borderline, narcissistic, avoidant, and obsessive-compulsive PDs have distinct features.
• Categorical representations of PDs are often criticized for their limitations.
• Alternative perspectives emphasize the maladaptive personality trait model, highlighting the spectrum of personality traits rather than distinct categories.
• Clinical efficacy of therapeutic interventions for PDs is a subject of ongoing study.

Trait Theories

• Research on personality change across lifespan suggests mean level changes in personality are possible, a change from one time point to another.
• The five-factor taxonomy is a framework for understanding personality traits including: sociability (extraversion), social dominance, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness to experience.
• Mean-level changes in personality traits often follow predictable patterns across adulthood.
• Personality traits such as social outgoingness, agreeableness and conscientiousness tend to improve (increase) over time.

Personality Disorders

• Personality disorders (PD) are enduring patterns of inner experience and behavior that deviate markedly from expectations of one's culture.
• These patterns are consistently present in a wide range of personal and social situations.
• Examples of criteria for personality disorders include: instability in interpersonal relations, self-image, impulsivity, efforts to avoid abandonment and significant difficulties in managing anger.
• Diagnosing Personality Disorders requires a formal evaluation and assessment of various domains, such as cognition, affect, interpersonal functioning, and impulse control that should manifest in more areas than one.
• Some personality disorders, such as antisocial personality disorder, have features that frequently overlap with other diagnosis like psychopathy.
• Personality disorders are clustered into three categories (A, B, and C).
• The study of personality disorders is a field of continued research and debate about the best framework for understanding and diagnosing these conditions.

Criticisms of PD Classification

• The diagnostic criteria for personality disorders (PDs) are frequently criticized for issues including subjectivity in clinician identification of individuals.
• Substantial overlap exists between different PDs, or individuals who meet criteria present features of other comorbid disorders.
• The significant high rate of comorbidity in PDs— where individuals have more than PD diagnosis at one time—suggests that these diagnoses may lack specificity.
• There is substantial variability in reliability of diagnosis over time and inconsistencies in diagnosis from clinician to clinician in research studies.

Dimensions of Personality Disorders

• Personality disorders (PD) are potentially better understood, and less stigmatized, as extremes along dimensions of personality traits instead of distinct categories.
• A maladaptive personality trait model provides a more comprehensive view of these conditions, potentially facilitating treatment approaches and reducing stigma.