CHLH 200 Exam 4 Chapter 12
questions well answered graded A+
2025/2026
Define personality - ANS ✔✔A set of uniquely expressed characteristics that influence our
behaviors, emotions, thoughts, and interactions
Define comorbidity - ANS ✔✔The occurrence of two or more disorders in the same person
Identify the three clusters of personality disorders - ANS ✔✔Cluster 1: Paranoid, schizoid,
schizotypal (Odd and Eccentric Behavior)
Cluster 2: Antisocial, Borderline, Histrionic, and Narcissistic (Dramatic Emotional Behavior)
Cluster 3: Avoidant, Dependent, Obsessive-Compulsive (High Degree Anxiety)
Cluster A: Odd-Eccentric Personality Disorders Symptoms similar to those for schizophrenia,
including inappropriate or flat affect, odd thought and speech patterns, paranoia. People with
these disorders maintain their grasp on reality, however.
Cluster B: Dramatic Emotional Personality Disorders Manipulative, volatile, and uncaring in
social relationships. Impulsive, sometimes violent behavior that show little regard for their own
safety or the safety or needs of others.
Cluster C: Anxious-Fearful Personality Disorders Extremely concerned about being criticized or
abandoned by others and thus have dysfunctional relationships with them.
Categorical approach to classifying personality
disorders - ANS ✔✔Categorical: DSM's listing of 10 distinct personality disorder.
- Disorder is either present or absent
- A personality disorder is either displayed or not displayed by an individual
, - A person who suffers from a personality disorder is not markedly troubled by personality traits
outside of that disorder.
Dimensional approach to classifying personality disorders - ANS ✔✔Dimensional: Each trait is
seen as varying along a continuum extending from non problematic to extremely problematic.
• PDs may differ more in degree than by presence or absence of specific features
• PDs are extremes along a continuum of otherwise normal, healthy personality
• Non-problematic to extremely problematic
• Assess severity of several personality traits
List the criticisms of the categorical approach to classifying personality disorders - ANS
✔✔Symptoms of personality disorders listed in DSM-5 overlap so much that clinicians often find
it difficult to distinguish one disorder from another. This results in disagreements about which
diagnosis is correct for a person with a personality disorder.
Assumes each PD is a separate and distinct category
• In clinical practice, difficult to distinguish between the PDs
• Lack validity (accuracy)
• Often, more than one PD is diagnosed
• Assumes all symptoms carry same weight
• People with the same disorder vary (heterogeneity)
• Lack reliability (consistency)
• Borderline personality disorder example
Describe how personality disorders differ from typical personality traits. - ANS ✔✔they have
personality traits that are much more extreme and dysfunctional than those of most people in
their culture, leading to significant problems and psychological pain for themselves or others
questions well answered graded A+
2025/2026
Define personality - ANS ✔✔A set of uniquely expressed characteristics that influence our
behaviors, emotions, thoughts, and interactions
Define comorbidity - ANS ✔✔The occurrence of two or more disorders in the same person
Identify the three clusters of personality disorders - ANS ✔✔Cluster 1: Paranoid, schizoid,
schizotypal (Odd and Eccentric Behavior)
Cluster 2: Antisocial, Borderline, Histrionic, and Narcissistic (Dramatic Emotional Behavior)
Cluster 3: Avoidant, Dependent, Obsessive-Compulsive (High Degree Anxiety)
Cluster A: Odd-Eccentric Personality Disorders Symptoms similar to those for schizophrenia,
including inappropriate or flat affect, odd thought and speech patterns, paranoia. People with
these disorders maintain their grasp on reality, however.
Cluster B: Dramatic Emotional Personality Disorders Manipulative, volatile, and uncaring in
social relationships. Impulsive, sometimes violent behavior that show little regard for their own
safety or the safety or needs of others.
Cluster C: Anxious-Fearful Personality Disorders Extremely concerned about being criticized or
abandoned by others and thus have dysfunctional relationships with them.
Categorical approach to classifying personality
disorders - ANS ✔✔Categorical: DSM's listing of 10 distinct personality disorder.
- Disorder is either present or absent
- A personality disorder is either displayed or not displayed by an individual
, - A person who suffers from a personality disorder is not markedly troubled by personality traits
outside of that disorder.
Dimensional approach to classifying personality disorders - ANS ✔✔Dimensional: Each trait is
seen as varying along a continuum extending from non problematic to extremely problematic.
• PDs may differ more in degree than by presence or absence of specific features
• PDs are extremes along a continuum of otherwise normal, healthy personality
• Non-problematic to extremely problematic
• Assess severity of several personality traits
List the criticisms of the categorical approach to classifying personality disorders - ANS
✔✔Symptoms of personality disorders listed in DSM-5 overlap so much that clinicians often find
it difficult to distinguish one disorder from another. This results in disagreements about which
diagnosis is correct for a person with a personality disorder.
Assumes each PD is a separate and distinct category
• In clinical practice, difficult to distinguish between the PDs
• Lack validity (accuracy)
• Often, more than one PD is diagnosed
• Assumes all symptoms carry same weight
• People with the same disorder vary (heterogeneity)
• Lack reliability (consistency)
• Borderline personality disorder example
Describe how personality disorders differ from typical personality traits. - ANS ✔✔they have
personality traits that are much more extreme and dysfunctional than those of most people in
their culture, leading to significant problems and psychological pain for themselves or others
