Abnormal Psychology Exam 3

Avoidant Personality Disorder Diagnostic Criteria

(1) Avoids occupational activities that involve significant interpersonal contact, because of fears of criticism, disapproval, or rejection (2) Is unwilling to get involved with people unless certain of being liked Most of us are insecure about something These people's insecurities constitute their perceived reality Thickness of outer shell doesn't make it less fragile (3) Shows restraint within intimate relationships because of the fear of being shamed or ridiculed Even when hypersensitivity is overcome long enough to let someone in, imagined inadequacies result in a fear to be oneself If someone does like the person, it's only because they had the wisdom to never show their true self (4) Is preoccupied with being criticized or rejected in social situations

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder Criteria

(1) Is preoccupied with details, rules, lists, order, organization, or schedules to the extent that the major point of the activity is lost - Seek to assuage their anxiety about any number of factors by plunging themselves ever deeper into detail - "Success by micromanagement" is their motto • If you can just gather enough information and organize that information in the right fashion, things will work out okay and you will be protected from harm or at least from disapproval (2) Shows perfectionism that interferes with task completion A certain pride in an ability to get work done and done perfectly (3) Is excessively devoted to work and productivity to the exclusion of leisure activities and friendships (4) Is over-conscientious, scrupulous, and inflexible about matters of morality, ethics, or valence (5) Is unable to discard worn-out or worthless objects even when they have no sentimental value (6) Is reluctant to delegate tasks or to work with others unless they submit to exactly his or her way of doing things - Often restrained and defended as if anticipating some impending catastrophe (7) Adopts a miserly spending style toward both self and others; money is viewed as something to be hoarded for future catastrophes (8) Shows rigidity and stubbornness

Borderline Personality Disorder - Diagnostic Criteria

(1) frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment Fear of abandonment is pervasive and causes anger towards dependents (2) a pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships characterized by alternating between extremes of idealization and devaluation - Case example swings from loving people to hating them • Idealized as the best person on earth or • Devalued as a demon from hell - This can happen both within and among individuals • Called "splitting" when done among individuals (3) identity disturbance; markedly and persistently unstable self-image or sense of self (4) impulsivity in at least two areas that are potentially self-damaging (e.g., spending, sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge eating) (5) recurrent suicidal behavior, gestures, or threats, or self-mutilating behavior (6) affective instability due to a marked reactivity of mood (e.g., intense episodic dysphoria, irritability, or anxiety usually lasting a few hours and only rarely more than a few days) - The most common emotions are those of anger and shame (7) chronic feelings of emptiness - This feeling represents the lack of feeling - Reported as intensely painful (8) inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger (e.g., frequent displays of temper, constant anger, recurrent physical fights) (9) transient, stress-related paranoid ideation or sever dissociative symptoms

Avoidant Personality Disorder Diagnostic Criteria 2

(5) Is inhibited in new interpersonal situations because of feelings of inadequacy The key is limiting exposure By revealing little about themselves, they leave little to be attacked (6) Views self as socially inept, personally unappealing, or inferior to others (7) Is unusually reluctant to take personal risks or to engage in any new activities because they may prove embarrassing stagnation Avoidant personalities refuse to take risks that might leave them open to public view As children, they may have had a significant person (parent, teacher, sibling, peer) who was highly critical and rejecting of them Fear of Rejection Continually fear that others will find them lacking and reject them Rejection is interpreted in a very personal manner Rejection is perceived as being caused solely by personal deficiencies

Narcissistic Personality Disorder - Diagnostic Criteria

(1) has a grandiose sense of self-importance This grandiosity fuels many behaviors • Assertion that problems lie within the company, not him (2) is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love (3) believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high status people (or institutions) - Often times these individuals are above average (4) requires excessive admiration - Often elicited via a boastful and haughty presentation (5) has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations - Case example expects that his subordinates should simply recognize his wisdom - The idea that the rules do not/should not apply to them (6) is interpersonally exploitative, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends (7) lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others (8) is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her - It's not just that they be great, but that they be great in comparison to others - As a result, they are acutely aware of the abilities and possessions of others (9) shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes - Central theme of self-aggrandizement

Dependent Personality Disorder - Diagnostic Criteria

(1) has difficulty making everyday decisions without an excessive amount of advice and reassurance from others Very difficult for them to take initiative on their own behalf or to provide direction to their lives or careers Instead, they bond themselves to those they perceive as confident or in control Piggyback themselves on the talents, abilities, and fortitude of others Often in trivial matters (e.g., what to eat for lunch) (2) needs others to assume responsibility for most major areas of his or her life This is self-perpetuating (3) has difficulty expressing disagreement with others because of fear of loss of support or approval Independence is a curse Presentation is often as precious and adorable In their minds, they must always be pleasing and never disagree with those they depend on (4) has difficulty initiation projects or doing things on his or her own (because of a lack of self-confidence in judgment or abilities rather than a lack of motivation or energy) "As long as I am sweet and pleasing, everything will be taken care of by others"

Histrionic Personality Disorder - Diagnostic Criteria

(1) is uncomfortable in situations in which he or she is not the center of attention Attention is like a drug Something she "can't do without" Thoughts and behaviors depend on attention (2) interaction with others is often characterized by inappropriate sexually seductive or provocative behavior Most strategies used to attract and keep attention are seductive or sexually provocative (3) displays rapidly shifting and shallow expression of emotions Tendency to hyper-emotionalize (4) consistently uses physical appearance to draw attention to self (5) has a style of speech that is excessively impressionistic and lacking in detail (6) shows self-dramatization, theatricality, and exaggerated expression of emotion Apparently rapid and overplayed emotional shifts (7) is suggestible, i.e., easily influenced by others or circumstances Attention is the goal (8) considers relationships to be more intimate than they actually are Individuals often confuse attraction and intimacy Many interactions are as superficial as the dramatizations that the histrionic creates Also exists a decreased interest in details and an increased interest in headlines Histrionic personality disorder may be characterized as an extreme of either gender role Extreme femininity

Schizoid Personality Disorder - Diagnostic Criteria 2

(4) takes pleasure in few, if any, activities Affective difficulties characterized by an unwavering absence of feeling Restricted ability to experience pleasure of any kind Lack of fear, annoyance, anxiety, or curiosity Results in a paucity of interests and hobbies (5) lacks close friends or confidants other than first-degree relatives Central theme: detachment from human relationships Relationships are not found to be rewarding Neither the want or need for social stimulation Often times these individuals find more comfort in the presence of inanimate objects (6) appears indifferent to the praise or criticism of others (7) shows emotional coldness, detachment, or flattened affectivity This may seem like extreme introversion to many The similarity between extreme introverts and schizoid personalities extends only to their asocial nature Introverts Able to experience and express emotion Schizoids Recognized for flattened affectivity Other personalities are seen as innately expressive, emotional, and social creatures The lack of these characteristics leaves the schizoid seeming robotic and mechanical

Dependent Personality Disorder - Diagnostic Criteria 2

(5) goes to excessive lengths to obtain nurturance and support from others, to the point of volunteering to do things that are unpleasant This is done in attempt to secure relationships when they seem as though they might be at risk (6) feels uncomfortable or helpless when alone because of exaggerated fears of being unable to care for himself or herself The ability to take care of oneself has resisted ever being tested (7) urgently seeks another relationship as a source of care and support when a close relationship ends The dependable figure's role is more important than who they are (8) is unrealistically preoccupied with fears of being left to take care of himself or herself

Schizoid Personality Disorder - Diagnostic Criteria

1) neither desires nor enjoys close relationships, including being part of a family This criteria serves as a fundamental difference between the schizoid personality and nearly all others Other personalities can be thought of as solutions to the problem of the core fear of loneliness Dependents make themselves lovable and approving Histrionics seek attention Narcissists seek approval and validation The need for closeness that is central to most of us is absent (2) almost always chooses solitary activities These individuals are not hostile They are simply indifferent When approached or acknowledge by others Often sense that a response of some kind would be desired These individuals Don't know how to respond appropriately Have no desire to respond (3) has little, if any, interest in having sexual experiences with another person Many have a healthy sex drive, but prefer masturbation

Dependent personality disorder

Beliefs "I need other people - specifically, a strong person - in order to survive" That their happiness depends on having such a figure available That they need a steady, uninterrupted flow of support and encouragement "I am completely helpless", "I am all alone" Threats: Rejection and/or abandonment Strategy: Cultivate a dependent relationship Subordinate themselves to a "strong" figure and trying to placate or please this person Affect: Anxiety - the concern over possible disruption of the dependent relationship Anxiety is heightened when they perceive that the relationship is strained May sink into a depression if the figure is removed Gratification and/or euphoria when their dependent wishes are granted

From Normality to Abnormality Antisocial

1. Adventurers - Intrepid individuals who pushed the frontiers by crossing oceans - Live on the edge, challenging boundaries and restrictions • Adventure provides a route to freedom that is - Socially acceptable - Admired as stereotypically masculine - Non-conformers with their own value system 2. Dissenting Personality Inclined at times to finesse the truth • Flirt with legal boundaries in pursuit of their own goals and desires - See themselves as independent or creatively autonomous • Do not accept customary responsibilities - Authority is viewed contemptibly as belonging to "Big Brother" Make wonderful leaders Capacity for guiltless willingness to deceive and exploit others Examples - Industrialists and entrepreneurs who flourish in the gray area of legal technicalities - Savvy corporate executives who exploit some market position, monopoly power, or regulatory loophole for huge advantage politicians Lie by omission by failing to report the total circumstances and full motivations of their actions "premeditating antisocials" The smooth-talking businessman - The less-than-forthcoming used-car salesman

Historical Perspectives Nacissistic

1. Classical Greek myth of Narcissus - A young man who fell in love with the image of himself he saw reflected in the water - Was so taken with his self-image that he became rooted to the spot and transformed into the narcissus flower 2. Freud - Incorporated the term "narcissistic" into his early theoretical essays on psychosexual development - Conceptualized it as a phase of normal development following an autoerotic phase • Eventually this phase matures into object love • Conflicts in the development of object love were thought to cause a fixation in the narcissistic stage 3. Object Relation Theorists - Posit that narcissism is a character deficit stemming from inadequate parenting during early development - "Rapprochement" Phase (ages 15-24 months) • Characterized by an alternation of exploration between - The environment - Returning the safekeeping of the caretaker • Inadequate support can result from parents who - Are inconsistent - Are unavailable - Who place self-centered demands on the child A vulnerable child suffers an injury to his or her emerging self • Called a "Narcissistic Injury" - To compensate • The child develops a grandiose, false self that will satisfy the needs of the caregivers

Cognitive Conceptualization Narcissistic

1. Primary schema: view of the self as needing to be special and superior to escape inferiority - Potential pathways toward this schema • Evidence that narcissistic tendencies are apt to be inherited • May be shaped by parents who overcompensate for feelings of inferiority or unimportance 2. Non-affected individuals learn to accept and master normal and transient feelings of inferiority - Narcissistic individuals cast these experiences as threats to be defeated At points where the individual is powerless to address these threats, the result is more profound feelings of inferiority or unimportance - Defeating feelings of inferiority and maintaining self- esteem at all costs • Results in magnified, overdeveloped strategies of self- aggrandizement Views of others - Other people are thought to be powerful - Narcissistic compensatory strategy • To become acutely aware of the flaws of others • To associate only with those who reflect their most positive, superior image 3. Broader experiences also reinforce the overdevelopment of self-aggrandizement Beliefs of self-superiority are supported by • Insulation from negative feedback • Intermittent reinforcement of self-display and exploitive behavior - Fantasy also maintains overdeveloped strategies • Provides cognitive rehearsal of grandiosity and self- preoccupation Perceived threats to self-image - Looking bad, feeling bad, losing a special status, confronting limits, etc. - These are termed "narcissistic insults" or "narcissistic injuries" Core Beliefs of Narcissism center around inferiority and/or unimportance Manifest Belief is a compensatory attitude of superiority 4. Conditional Assumptions - Evidence of Superiority • Narcissist believes that certain circumstances or tangible assets provide evidence and validation of superiority - "I must succeed in order to prove my superiority" Narcissistic assumptions • That achievements, position, possessions, or public recognition indicate personal value, or lack thereof • "If I'm not successful, then it means I'm not worthwhile" • As a result, self-esteem will plummet if these outward signs are lost, compromised, or unattainable

Narcissistic Variants

1. Self-confident style Strong faith in themselves • Believing that they are special, exceptional, or even destined to do great things - Many have powerful visions of themselves as a hero, conqueror or expert Often their enthusiasm and natural leadership to create an aura that makes it easy to recruit others to their purpose 2. The asserting style Individuals exhibit a sense of boldness • Stems from unwavering belief* in their own talent or intelligence

Variations of Antisocial Personality

1. The Covetous Antisocial (variant of "pure" pattern) Feel that life has not given them "their due" • They have been deprived of their rightful amount of love, support, and/or material reward • Others have received more than their share Jealous of those who have received the bounty of good life • Driven by envious desire for retribution to take what destiny has refused them - Goal is compensation for the emptiness of life Most feel deep sense of emptiness Little compassion for or guilt about the effects of their behavior Remain forever dissatisfied and insatiable 2. The Reputation-Defending Antisocial (Narcissistic features) - Motivation is to defend and extend bravery and toughness Being tough and assertive is essentially a defensive act intended to prove their strength and guarantee a reputation of indomitable courage 3. The Risk-Taking Antisocial (Histrionic Features) - Wish others to see them as unaffected by what almost anyone else would experience as dangerous or frightening - Risk is proactively sought as its own reward • Provides a means of feeling stimulated and alive • Not a means of material gain Thrill seekers infatuated by opportunities to test their mettle 4. The Nomadic Antisocial (Schizoid, Avoidant features) - These individuals drift along at the margins of society 5. The Malevolent Antisocial - Perform actions charged with a hateful and destructive defiance of conventional social life - Seek to secure their boundaries with cold-blooded ruthlessness • Avenge every mistreatment they believe others have inflicted on them in the past - Interpret goodwill and kindness of others as hiding a deceptive ploy for which they must always be on guard

Dependent Normal to Abnormal

1. The devoted style Caring and solicitous, putting the welfare of others first 2. The agreeing style Built around cooperativeness, consideration, and amiability Healthy and adaptive traits can quickly turn pathological Tend to fuse their identity with that of others Loss of relationship is tantamount to loss of self

From Normality to Abnormality Histronic

1. The dramatic style Emphasis on feeling, color, and attention Experience life through sensation and romance Many are highly intuitive Quickly sense what to talk about and how others wish to be regarded Many trust others easily and readily involve themselves in relationships 2. The outgoing style Focus is more on sociability than on theatrics Individuals possess great confidence in their influence and charm

Historical Perspectives Nacissistic 2

4. Object Relations Theorists - This conceptualization posits that emotional pain is evident • Nagging sense of worthlessness, inadequacy, and lack of meaning or pleasure in achievements is meant to sustain the fragile esteem of a false self 5. Interpersonal Perspective - Major motive • The striving to overcome feelings of inferiority arising out of comparisons to others - This process is termed "compensation" - An individual who perceives him or herself as deficient relative to others might work exceedingly hard to achieve in that very area - Narcissism is a result of: • Compensatory actions of an individual who perceived him or herself as unimportant and inferior compared to others

From Normality to Abnormality Obsessive Compulsive 2

4. The Puritanical Compulsive (Paranoid features) - Psychoanalytic perspective states that compulsive personalities struggle with resolving obedience and defiance In their minds, the world is composed of those who are "all good" and "all bad" • "Us vs. Them" Gravitate toward radical fundamentalism • Literalism in such beliefs are clear on who deserves absolute punishment 5. The Bureaucratic Compulsive (Narcissistic features) - Ally themselves with traditional values, established authorities, and formal organizations • In contrast, most compulsives feel conflicted and/or angered by these influences (even if it is suppressed) - Embrace the order and structure inherent in recognized institutions, authorities, and social mores - Flourish in organized settings Use highly developed and formalized external structures to compensate for their internal sense of ambivalence and indecisiveness - Many fuse their identity with the system 6. The Parsimonious Compulsive (Schizoid features) - Miserliness takes on a symbolic significance • Always wary of possible losses • Often selfish and niggardly - Keep a tight, self-protective grip on everything they possess so as not to have it wrestled from them 7. The Bedeviled Compulsive (Negativistic features) - Appear on the surface to be maintaining a controlled and austere front - Struggle is between • Desire to conform to the wishes or agendas of others one minute • Desire to subvert others and assert their own interests the next - Struggle leaves them unable to act decisively

Borderline Personality Disorder - Diagnostic Criteria - Emotion

All diagnostic criteria come down to difficulties with emotion - Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment - Unstable and intense interpersonal relationships - Identity disturbance - Impulsivity - Recurrent suicidal behavior - Affective instability - Inappropriate, intense anger - Transient, stress-related paranoid ideation

Difference between Schizoid Personality Disorder and Avoidant Personality Disorder

Can appear similar upon initial presentation Both display Lack of interpersonal relationships Engagement in many solitary activities Difference lies in the desire for relationships Avoidant Personality Disorder Avoids relationships due to a fear of rejection Schizoid Personality Disorder May also fear such criticism, but will not desire relationships As a result, self-enforced solitude appears less problematic Schizoids are impressive not for what they do, but for what they fail to do

Schizoid Cognitive Perspective

Early Experience "Square peg in a round hole" Teased and bullied at school "Inept at family activities" Core Beliefs "I am different, a loner, an oddity, a misfit, nothing/worthless, boring and dull, half a person, have an ugly personality, not normal" "People are cruel, hostile, out to get me, unfulfilling, don't like me, pick on weakness" "The World is hostile" Conditional Assumptions "If I try and befriend others, they will notice I am different and ridicule me" "If I speak to others, they will notice how dull I am and will reject and taunt me" Negative Automatic Thoughts "I don't fit in - there is nothing to say" Behaviors Avoid all contact/talk with others Look at the ground in social situations

The Psychodynamic Perspective Borderline

Early analysts recognized three levels of functioning: - Normal - Neurotic - Psychotic • Freud claimed that their libido was withdrawn totally into the self. Inaccessible given the usual analytic tools • Freud's theory was of the whole mind... - As a therapy, it could only be applied to neurotic individuals (or normal individuals) Stern: "borderline group of neuroses" - Thought to be neurotic, but resistant to the couch (analysis) Stern (1938) - 10 Characteristics including: - Quickness to anger - Depression or anxiety in response to interpretive probes about self-esteem - The use of projection to attribute internal anger to hostile sources in the environment - "Difficulties in reality testing" • i.e. nonpsychotic deficits in judgment and empathic accuracy Schmideberg (1947, 1959) - The borderline • "...not just quantitatively halfway between the neuroses and psychoses" • "...the blending and combination of these modes of reaction produce something qualitatively different" Kernberg (1967) - Primary idea of levels of organization in personality • Draws attention to a quality of integration of intrapsychic elements - Stable over time - Fall midway on the continuum from neurosis to psychosis • This is different than the idea of borderline states or conditions

Timothy Leary's levels of personality

First level - public communication What is observable and objective in interpersonal behavior Second level - conscious description Expressed through the verbal content of statements made about self or others Third level - private symbolization Concerned with preconscious and unconscious attributions Expressed through "projective indirect fantasy materials" e.g. projective tests fantasies, artistic productions, wishes, dreams, and free associations Fourth level - unexpressed unconscious Issues that are censored from consciousness and "systematically and compulsively avoided by the subject at all other levels of personality... and are conspicuous by their inflexible absence" Fifth level - values Expressed not only in the ego ideal, but in the standards through which self and others are judged

Schizoid is probably best described as the reverse of the histrionic personality

Histrionic personality Turned radically outward toward the social world Demonstrative, dramatic, spontaneous, and theatrical Hyper-sexualized Cognitively scattered and unable to focus Schizoid personality Radically detached Unanimated, robotic and lacking in energy and vitality Little or no interest in sex Focus intensely and creatively

Dependent personality disorder 2

Individuals are caring to a fault Allow others' well-being to come first no matter what the cost may be to themselves or their identity Live their lives through others and for others When people they care for are happy, they are happy Tend to assume a more passive role in relationships Prefer harmony in relationships Being happy when loved ones are happy Making sacrifices for the good of others Warm and affectionate on the surface Underneath they see themselves as helpless and fear doing anything on their own Need to be taken care of Seek competent instrumental surrogates who reward submission by facing down the problems of the world for both of them Many are incapable of making routine decisions without first seeking advice Put their lives in control of others This clinginess suffocates their partners and puts them at risk for abandonment Many behaviors are fueled by this fear/risk of abandonment Often submit quickly to their partners' wishes Often become so pleasing no one would possibly want to leave them When relationships do dissolve, their self-esteem becomes devastated Deprived of support or attachment, they Withdraw into themselves Become increasingly tense and despondent

Avoidant Personality Disorder

Key Conflict: Desire to be close to others and live up to their intellectual and vocational potential Fear of being hurt, rejected, and unsuccessful Self view: As socially inept and incompetent in academic or work situations View of others: They see others as potentially critical, uninterested, and demeaning Threats: Being discovered to be a "fraud," being put down, demeaned, or rejected Strategy: To avoid situations in which they could be evaluated Dysphoria - a combination of anxiety and sadness Related to deficits in obtaining the pleasures they would like to receive from close relationships and a sense of mastery

anti-social personality disorder

Key Feature: Many forms varying from conniving, manipulating, and exploiting to direct attack Self-view: as loners, autonomous, and strong Some see themselves as abused and mistreated by society Some cast themselves in the predatory role in a "dog-eat-dog" world View of others: see others as exploitative and thus deserving to be exploited in retaliation Can also view others as weak and vulnerable, thus deserving to be preyed upon Beliefs: "I need to look out for myself", "I need to be the aggressor or I will be the victim" Strategy: Overt antisocials will openly attack, rob, and defraud others Subtle antisocials ("con artists") seek to inveigle others and exploit or defraud them Affect: Anger over injustice that other people have possessions that they (the antisocial personalities) deserve

schizoid personality disorder

Key feature Isolation. The embodiment of the autonomous personality Willing to sacrifice intimacy to preserve detachment and autonomy Self-view: as self-sufficient and as loners Prize mobility, independence, and solitary pursuits View of others: as intrusive and controlling Beliefs: "I am basically alone", "Close relationships with other people are unrewarding and messy", "I can do things better if I'm not encumbered by other people", "Close relationships are undesirable because they interfere with my freedom of action" Strategy: To keep their distance from other people, insofar as this is feasible Affect: Sadness, as long as they keep their distance Anxious when forced into an encounter

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Key feature: "Self-aggrandizement" Self-view: as special and unique - almost as princes or princesses Consider selves superior and entitled to special favors and favorable treatment Above rules that govern other people View of others: as inferior (not as in antisocial personality disorder) See selves as prestigious and as elevated above the average person See others as their vassals and potential admirers Seek recognition from others in order to Document their own grandiosity Preserve their superior status Beliefs "Since I am special, I deserve special dispensations, privileges, and prerogatives", "I'm superior to others and they should acknowledge this", "I'm above the rules" Many have covert beliefs of being unlovable or helpless Strategy: Plans revolve around activities that can reinforce their superior status and expand their "personal domain" Seek glory, wealth, position, power, and prestige This is a means of reinforcing their superior image Tend to be highly competitive with others who claim an equally high status Affect: Anger when others do not accord them the admiration or respect they believe they are entitled to Prone to depression if strategies are foiled constantly presents themselves as superior gets lost in self-generated fantasies hold others in contempt for being inferior We are indebted to them for the honor of their association Their egocentricity makes them indifferent to the rights and welfare of others

Histornic personality disorder

Key feature: Expressiveness Tendency to dramatize or romanticize all situations Trying to impress or captivate others Self-view: as glamorous, impressive, and deserving of attention View of others: favorably... as long as they can elicit their attention, amusement, and affection Self-esteem depends on their receiving continuous expressions of appreciation Are more involved within interpersonal interactions than those with narcissistic personality disorder Beliefs: "I am basically unattractive", "I need other people to admire me in order to be happy" Strategy: To use dramatics and demonstrativeness to bind people to them When they do not succeed, they believe they are being treated unfairly Coerce compliance through expressions of pain and anger Affect: Gaiety mixed with mirth when successful in engaging other people Undercurrent of anxiety reflecting their fear of rejection center of attention easily influenced by whoever they sought to interact with Someone who's bold pattern of expression is substantiated by their physical appearance Someone who is always the "life of the party"

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder

Key features: "Control" and "Should" and key words To them, "orderliness is godliness" Self-view: As responsible for themselves and others Believe that they can only depend on themselves to see that things get done They are accountable for their own perfectionistic conscience Driven by "shoulds" Core image of self as inept or helpless Fear that they will become overwhelmed, unable to function View of others: sees others as too casual, often irresponsible, self-indulgent, or incompetent Liberally apply "shoulds" to others in attempt to shore up their own weaknesses Beliefs: "I could be overwhelmed", "I am basically disorganized or disoriented", "I need order, systems, and rules in order to survive" Threats Flaws, mistakes, disorganization, and imperfections Tend to catastrophize "Things will get out of control" "I won't be able to get things done" Strategy In applying rules, they evaluate and rate other people's performance as well as their own Affect Prone to experience regrets, disappointment, and anger towards self and others Anxiety or anger in anticipation of substandard performance Depression when serious "failure" occurs

The Cognitive-Behavioral Perspective of Antisocial Personality Disorder

Lack of conscience Cognitions - Automatic thoughts reflect themes of pragmatic strategies for self-advancement - Common theme • The rules by which they live are significantly and noticeably different from those of the broader community • Goal of life is to limit or avoid the control by others Affectivity - Can range from • Reclusive and disengaged antisocial with self-focused actions (e.g., heroin use) • Aggressive acting-out individual Interpersonal functioning Some have poor interpersonal skills and have problems that are rooted in their social skills deficits • Others have superb interpersonal skills and use them to manipulate others (e.g. the "con artist")

Borderline Personality Disorder

Life analogous to a soap opera - Wrought with emotional ups and downs • Individuals are known to be unstable and especially angry - Experience intense interpersonal needs and sudden shifts of opinions about others - Experience intolerable loneliness and emptiness • Results in clinginess via dramatic and drastic measures - Experience dissociative states during stressful times A pervasive pattern of instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affects, and marked impulsivity beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts

existentialism

Not self-containing entities We are never exactly sure who and what we are Self-concept is a collection of probabilistic hypotheses Some we seek to support; others we seek to deny Existentialism: We exist, then we define ourselves

Timothy Leary's Interpersonal Circumplex

Often called the "interpersonal circle" Crosses content dimensions of dominance and affiliation

Linehan's Dialectical-Behavioral View

Patients with BPD are characterized by a dysfunction in emotion regulation The environment of the patient with BPD was, and often still is, invalidating Dialectical stance is taken with the patients - Acceptance • Accepting the emotional pain (instead of trying to change this) - Change • Changing the antecedents of the stress • Changing the ways that the patient tries to cope with the emotions

The Psychodynamic Perspective of Antisocial Personality Disorder

The Ego develops, but the Superego does not - As a result, the total personality remains dominated by the infantile Id and its pleasure principle. - Classical psychoanalytic theory holds that the Id is completely centered on its own immediate needs Antisocials impulsively and egocentrically violate shared standards of social living - Just as the Id is dominated by sex and aggression, so is the behavior of most antisocials - Just as the Id demands immediate gratification, antisocials focus on the short term Just as the Id knows only its own urges, antisocials know mainly the selfish pursuit of their own satisfaction Just as the moral principle is irrelevant to the Id, social conventions and ideals have no intrinsic value to the antisocial personality - Just as the id has no tolerance for frustration, neither do antisocials

From Normality to Abnormality Obsessive Compulsive

The following traits are not only valued, but necessary prerequisites to social and financial well-being • Efficiency, punctuality, willingness to work hard, orientation to detail, etc. - Almost a requirement to possess these traits when seeking an advanced graduate degree 1. The Conscientious Style - Characterized by • Dedication to hard work • Deeply held convictions of conscience and moral principle Preference for orderliness and detail Tend to emphasize work more than any other aspect of their lives Enjoy detail 2. The Conforming Style - Constructed around conventionality and a preference for following established rules and standards Respect tradition and authority Seldom exhibit spontaneity and can be rather rigid and inflexible in their relationships Intolerant of deviance and tend to be judgmental to those who are not as earnest Always attempt to think things through before acting • Sometimes given to dogmatic thinking • Perceive the world around them and controversial issues in terms of black-and-white, right-or-wrong extremes 3. The Conscientious Compulsive (Dependent features) - Exhibits a conforming dependency • Compliance to rules and authority • Willing to submit to the wishes, values, expectations, and demands of others Exhibit an insecurity similar to the dependent • Believe that they will be cared for, valued, and loved in direct proportion to their hard work and monumental accomplishments - This is a huge liability • They fear that failure to perform perfectly will provoke abandonment and condemnation

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder 2

These people are often - Virtuous workers putting in long hours - Compelled to do everything perfectly Rigidly devoted to productivity Setting high, often unrealistic standards for themselves - Also expect the same from others Their private lives are often rigidly dogmatic - True in matters of morality, ethics, and values - Everything is by the book, nothing is on the sly - What they believe they hold as absolute truth • So much so that others see them as exceptionally stubborn Possible Indicators 1. The patient was raised in a rigid, controlling type of family 2. The patient lacks close, self-disclosing interpersonal relationships 3. The patient is in a technical, detail-oriented profession such as accounting, law, or engineering 4. The patient either lacks many leisure activities or has leisure activities that are purposeful and goal- directed and not merely pursued for enjoyment

Avoidant Personality Disorder 2

This person may have one or two trusted friends Few others pass their strict tests of uncritical support and acceptance to gain access to their private circles This person is not content with this secret, isolated way of life Pain from loneliness and seclusion hurts them to the core of their existence They'd rather be alone than make themselves vulnerable to the "inevitable" social humiliation Rather than experience the awkwardness of nakedly putting themselves on display, they take their silent, lonely pain and make themselves invisible Invisible away from the "harsh, but deserved criticism from others"

Avoidant Personality Disorder 3

This person may resist any life change that may bring them into the public eye Includes occupational promotions and other life rewards This person may wish deeply for love, genuine intimacy, and greater life enjoyment or satisfaction Their souls are seen as so disgraced that they must withdraw into a private world of shame At least there they can be left alone with their inadequacies

Beckian Formulations

Three key assumptions: • "The world is dangerous and malevolent" • "I am powerless and vulnerable" • "I am inherently unacceptable" • Cognitive characteristics - Hyper-vigilance - Dichotomous thinking - Weak sense of identity Unstable and extreme interpersonal behavior - Due to paradoxical combinations of • Dependent assumptions - The belief of the patient to be weak and incapable, whereas others are strong and capable • Paranoid assumptions - The belief that others cannot be trusted and are malevolent • Emotional turmoil and extreme decisions - Due to dichotomous thinking • Lack of ability to see shades of gray contributes to abrupt shifts Four central schema modes (organized patterns of thinking) central to BPD - The abandoned child mode - The angry/impulsive child mode - The punitive parent mode - Healthy adult mode • Denotes the healthy side of the patient

From Normality to Abnormality Narcissistic

Too little self-regard can be just as pathological as too much • Deficient self-regard typically implies feelings of - Incompetence - Ineffectiveness - Unworthiness - Inferiority • Excessive self-regard implies feelings of - Superiority - Arrogance - Grandiosity - Lack of empathy for others Low self-regard can be paralyzing - If only because the individual hesitates to risk losing what little self-regard remains - The smallest possibility of failure is interpreted as another chance to lose Individuals with inflated self-regard may falsely believe that - They can accomplish anything - Their accomplishments or contributions far exceed their true worth • Overconfidence causes them to dismiss realistic risks as somehow inapplicable to them Being somewhat self-confident helps make you seem sociable and confident - Being too self-confident makes you seem arrogant and exploiting

Cognitive Conceptualization: Histrionic Personality Disorder

Underlying Assumption "I am inadequate and unable to handle life on my own" This underlying assumption is common. The coping method is what distinguishes disorders Conclusion of the Histrionic: "Because I am incapable of caring for myself, I will need to find a way to get others to take care of me" Behavior of the Histrionic: To actively set about seeking attention and approval Ensures that their needs are sufficiently met by others strong fear of rejection Any indication of rejection is devastating Feel constant pressure to seek attention Often by fulfilling the extreme of their sex-role stereotype Great concern with eliciting external approval Often external events are valued over their own internal experience Because they have paid little attention to their own internal resources, they have no idea how to respond with depth Often aren't in touch with their own depth

Interpersonal Perspective

social product of interactions with significant others Harry Stack Sullivan - father of the interpersonal perspective The consequences of Sullivan's approach bridge psychology with existentialism