PSYC 435 - Abnormal Psychology Quiz 4 Concepts Questions With Verified Answers

PSYC 435 - Abnormal Psychology Quiz 4 Concepts Questions With Verified Answers Case Study: Alan (Narcissistic Personality Disorder): - 25, student, graduate program - tells professors how motivated and excited he is - rarely bothers to read assigned material - hands in papers that are unfinished drafts - mediocre grades - complains he is not treated well by professors and is being singled out - believes he is much more talented than his grades suggest and blames his professors - spreads malicious rumours about them What is the definition of a personality disorder? Inflexible and maladaptive traits that are pervasive and stable. Their ways of perceiving, thinking, and behaving compromise their ability to function effectively and relate to other people and the environment. They experience chronic interpersonal difficulties, problems with identity or sense of self, and are unable to function in an adaptive manner. What are the general DSM criteria for diagnosing personality disorders? The person's enduring pattern of behavior must be pervasive and inflexible, as well as stable and of long duration. It must also cause either clinically significant distress or impairment in functioning and be manifested in at least two of the following areas: cognition, affectivity, interpersonal functioning, or impulse control. What is the approximate prevalence of personality disorders in the general population? Somewhere between 10 and 12 percent of people in the general population likely meet criteria for at least one personality disorder. What are three reasons for the high frequency of misdiagnoses of personality disorders? 1. Even with structured interviews, the reliability of diagnosing personality disorders typically is less than ideal because many of the symptoms of specific personality disorders are not very precisely defined. A great deal of judgment is needed to know if a person's behavior meets the standard in each case. 2. Many different interviews and self report measures can be used to assess personality and personality disorders but there is not always high agreement between the diagnoses made with one instrument versus another. 3. Classifying personality disorders in a categorical manner may not be the best approach. Most researchers today agree that a dimensional approach for assessing personality disorders has many advantages and would be preferable. What are two reasons why it is difficult to conduct research on personality disorders? It is difficult to determine the causes of personality disorders because most studies to date are retrospective. 2. Most people with one personality disorder have at least one more personality disorder as well. This complicates research. What are the three Cluster A personality disorders? 1. Paranoid 2. Schizoid 3. Schizotypal Paranoid Personality Disorder: - Suspiciousness and mistrust - Equally common in men and women - Prevalence 1 - 2% - Little known on the cause - Increased risk for schizophrenia Case Study: Paranoid Personality Disorder: - 46 yr., male, blue collar job, admitted after suicide attempt - car accident as a teen hospitalized for head trauma and brain concussion - long history of alcohol abuse - described as hypersensitive, touchy, suspicious, mistrustful - concern over wife's fidelity Schizoid Personality Disorder: - Little interest in developing social relationships and not emotionally expressive - Viewed by others as cold and aloof - Prevalence 1% - More common in men than women - Little known on the cause; in part because such people have little interest in taking part in research Case Study: Bill (Schizoid Personality Disorder) - 33 yr., male, computer analyst - withdrawn, referred by physician suspecting depression, virtually no contact with other people - lifelong loner, few friends, oldest of 5 children, never dated in high school/once in college, drank frequently with one friend in college who's since moved - reports having a hard time making friends, not knowing what to say, thought of making his life more positive but not seeming worth the trouble, happiest alone Schizotypal Personality Disorder: - Oddities in their thinking, speech, or behavior - They may have magical thinking or express odd beliefs - Genetic and other biological factors are implicated - thought to be part of the schizophrenia spectrum - Prevalence 1% - Thought to be more common in males than females What are the four Cluster B personality disorders? 1. Histrionic 2. Narcissistic 3. Antisocial 4. Borderline Histrionic Personality Disorder: - Excessive attention seeking, high levels of extraversion, and theatrical and sometimes seductive behavior - Prevalence slightly more than 1% - more common in women than men - Recommended for deletion in DSM-5, although this did not happen. Many question whether it is a meaningful diagnosis. Case Study: Lulu (Histrionic Personality Disorder): - 24, f, housewife, husband left her at the bus station for her to return to her own family as he was tired of taking care of her - admitted for vagrancy, dressed up very feminine and special for the interview, flirtatious and somewhat childlike seductive gestures with male psychiatrist, talked very vaguely of her life and childhood, complained her husband abandoned her and could not return to her family as her brothers abused her - no friends, did not know how she would get on, felt other women didn't like her though she assured she was very nice and kind - wife of a couple friend accused her of being overly seductive toward her husband - her own husband complained of her inappropriate behaviour around other men and how vain and needing of attention she was Narcissistic Personality Disorder: - Exaggerated sense of self-importance, a need for admiration, and lack of empathy for the feelings of other people - Act in very entitled ways - More common in men than women - Prevalence just under 1% Antisocial Personality Disorder: - Deceitful, aggressive, and irresponsible behavior and a lack of regard for the rights of others - Much more prevalent in men (3%) than women (1%) - Many incarcerated people have this disorder - roots in childhood and traits are thought to be heritable - Many adverse environmental factors (such as low family income, poor parental supervision, or neglect) are also implicated Case Study: Mark (Antisocial Personality Disorder): - 22 yr., m, car theft and armed robbery - long history of arrests since age 9, expelled from school for truancy and disruption, ran away from home for days or weeks at a time several times - had not held a job for more than a few days at a time, generally charming manner enabled him to obtain work readily - loner, few friends, antagonized those he met with aggressive self- oriented behaviour - after one therapy session he skipped bail and presumably left town and was never seen again Borderline Personality Disorder