11A - Antisocial & Histrionic Personality
Disorders (Clusters A&C)
Tuesday, March 30, 2021
8:16 AM
*Mini-lecture 1 : Introduction to personality disorders
Personality disorders: Introduction
A personality disorder is a persistent pattern of emotions, cognition, and behavior that
results in enduring distress (to person affected and/or others), and which may cause
difficulties with work and relationships
o Person who has PD might not have distress, but they inflict some form of
distress on others around them
Cluster A -> Off or eccentric
o Paranoid; Schizoid; Schizotypal
Cluster B -> Dramatic, erratic, or emotional
o Antisocial; Histrionic Borderline; narcissistic
Cluster C -> Anxious or fearful
o Avoidant; dependent; obsessive-compulsive
Personality disorders: Diagnostic issues
There are many, many conceptual/diagnostic issues related to personality disorders in the
DSM-5
o Among them is the potential for bias in how PDs are characterized and
diagnosed
*Mini-lecture 2 : Psychopathy vs. antisocial personality disorder
Psychopathy: The PCL-R
The PCL-R is a widely-used tool for assessing psychopathy. Among its criteria:
1. Glibness/superficial charm
2. Grandiose sense of self-worth
3. Pathological lying
4. Conning/manipulation
5. Lack of remorse or guilt
6. Callousness/lack of empathy
Psychopathy vs. antisocial personality disorder
Almost all psychopaths meet ASPD criteria, but only a minority of those with ASPD score
high on measures of psychopathy
Conceptual distinction:
o Antisocial personality disorder -> behaviors ; psychopathy -> traits
o Often blurred in research (and increasingly in DSM-5 criteria)!
Disorders (Clusters A&C)
Tuesday, March 30, 2021
8:16 AM
*Mini-lecture 1 : Introduction to personality disorders
Personality disorders: Introduction
A personality disorder is a persistent pattern of emotions, cognition, and behavior that
results in enduring distress (to person affected and/or others), and which may cause
difficulties with work and relationships
o Person who has PD might not have distress, but they inflict some form of
distress on others around them
Cluster A -> Off or eccentric
o Paranoid; Schizoid; Schizotypal
Cluster B -> Dramatic, erratic, or emotional
o Antisocial; Histrionic Borderline; narcissistic
Cluster C -> Anxious or fearful
o Avoidant; dependent; obsessive-compulsive
Personality disorders: Diagnostic issues
There are many, many conceptual/diagnostic issues related to personality disorders in the
DSM-5
o Among them is the potential for bias in how PDs are characterized and
diagnosed
*Mini-lecture 2 : Psychopathy vs. antisocial personality disorder
Psychopathy: The PCL-R
The PCL-R is a widely-used tool for assessing psychopathy. Among its criteria:
1. Glibness/superficial charm
2. Grandiose sense of self-worth
3. Pathological lying
4. Conning/manipulation
5. Lack of remorse or guilt
6. Callousness/lack of empathy
Psychopathy vs. antisocial personality disorder
Almost all psychopaths meet ASPD criteria, but only a minority of those with ASPD score
high on measures of psychopathy
Conceptual distinction:
o Antisocial personality disorder -> behaviors ; psychopathy -> traits
o Often blurred in research (and increasingly in DSM-5 criteria)!
