The Three Clusters of Personality Disorders (Abnormal Psychology 04-02-12)

Joseph Melanson

Abnormal Psychology

Prof. Cloninger

23 March 2012

The Three Clusters of Personality Disorders.

             According to Butcher, Mineka, and Hooley (2010), personality disorders are the results of “inflexible and maladaptive” traits of dysfunctional behavior and thinking which causes the person  to be “unable to perform adequately at least some of the varied roles expected of them by their society (p. 341). The two main categories which “characterize most personality disorders are chronic interpersonal difficulties and problems with one’s identity or sense of self” (Butcher et al., 2010, p. 341). According to Butcher et al. (2010), “the criteria for diagnosing a personality disorder, the person’s enduring pattern of behavior must be pervasive and inflexible, as well as stable and of long duration” (p. 341). Butcher et al. (2010), goes on to state personality disorders “cause either clinically significant distress or impairment in functioning” and manifest in “at least two of the following areas: cognition, affectivity, interpersonal functioning, or impulse control” (p. 341). Personality disorders are classified into three categories called “clusters”, Butcher et al. (2010) states, “on the basis of what where originally thought to be important similarities of features among the disorders within a given cluster” (p. 341).

              According to Butcher et al. (2010), the first cluster of personality disorders, is “Cluster A” and this “includes paranoid, schizoid, and schizotypal personality disorders” (p. 342). Generally the people that manifest symptoms of these disorders “often seem odd or eccentric, with unusual behavior ranging from distrust and suspiciousness to social detachment” (Butcher et al, 2010, p. 342). An example of this cluster is the Schizoid Personality disorder and the sufferers of “are usually unable to form social relationships and usually lack much interest in doing so” (Butcher et al., 2010, p. 346).

             According to Alloy, Acocella, and Bootzin (1996), the “schizoid personality disorder is defined by one fundamental eccentricity, a preference for being alone” (p. 266). The person with the Schizoid Personality disorder usually doesn’t have close friends, “with the possible exception of a close relative” (Butcher et al., 2010, p. 346). Unable to “express their feelings” they seem “as cold and distant”, and lacking “social skills” they can be viewed as “loners or introverts, with solitary interests and occupations, although not all loners or introverts have schizoid personality disorder” (Butcher et al., 2010, p. 346). They find no joy in many activities, including “sexual activity”, they “rarely marry”, and are not “emotionally reactive”, rarely having strong emotions, “but rather show a generally apathetic mood” which gives others the sense of being “cold and aloof” (Butcher et al., 2010, p. 346). According to Butcher et al. (2010), “they show high levels of introversion (especially low on warmth, gregariousness, and positive emotions)” and are “low on openness to feelings (one facet of openness to experience)” (p. 346). “Little is known about the causes of this disorder as it, “like paranoid personality disorder, has not been the focus of much research” and the traits of this disorder have “been shown to have only a modest heritability” (Butcher et al., 2010, p. 347).

            “Theorists propose that individuals with schizoid personality disorder” display “aloof behavior” due to “maladaptive schemas that lead them to view themselves as self-sufficient” and “view others as intrusive” (Butcher et al., 2010, p. 347). “Their core dysfunctional belief might be, “I am basically alone” or “Relationships are messy [and] undesirable” (Butcher et al., 2010, p. 347).

             According to Butcher et al. (2010), the second cluster, “Cluster B” includes “histrionic, narcissistic, antisocial, and borderline personality disorders” (p. 342). “Individuals with these disorders” tend to be “dramatic, emotional, and erratic” (Butcher et al., 2010, p. 342). An example of one of these disorders, the Histrionic Personality Disorder, is what Butcher et al. (2010) characterizes as “excessive attention seeking” and “emotionality” the “key characteristics” of the “histrionic personality disorder” (p. 349). They “feel unappreciated if they are not the center of attention; their lively, dramatic, and excessively extraverted styles often ensure that they can charm others” but many “tire of providing this level of attention” to behavior which is “often quite theatrical and emotional” and “sexually provocative and seductive” (Butcher et al., 2010, p. 349). According to Alloy et al., (1996), their actions are often manipulation “aimed at attracting attention and sympathy” (p. 268). “Their speech is vague and impressionistic and they are seen as “self-centered, vain, and excessively concerned about the approval of others, who see them as overly reactive, shallow, and insincere” (Butcher et al., 2010, p. 349). “The prevalence of this disorder” is estimated “at 2 to 3 percent, and some (but not all) studies suggest that this disorder occurs more often in women” (Butcher et al., 2010, p. 350). “A recent careful analysis of the issue suggested that the higher prevalence” of this disorder in women “actually would not be predicted based on known sex differences in the personality traits prominent in the disorder” and suggests a sex bias “in the diagnosis of the disorder” (Butcher et al., 2010, p. 350).

            According to Butcher et al. (2010), “Cluster C: Includes avoidant, dependent, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorders” (p. 342). “In contrast to the other two clusters”, Butcher et al. (2010) states, “people with theses disorders often show anxiety and fearfulness (p. 342). An example of one of these disorders is the Obsessive-Compulsive personality disorder or OCPD as it is referred to, and it is characterized by “perfectionism and an excessive concern with maintaining order and control” (Butcher et al., 2010, p. 360).

            This personality disorder is characterized by “excessive preoccupation with trivial details, at the cost of both spontaneity and effectiveness” (Alloy et al., 1996, p. 269). These personalities obsess over “mechanics of efficiency – organizing, following rules, making lists and schedules – that they cease to be efficient, for they never get anything important done” as well as being “stiff and formal in their dealings with others and find it hard to take genuine pleasure in anything” (Alloy et al., 1996, p. 269). “For example, they may spend weeks or months planning a family vacation”, planning all the activities, “and then derive no enjoyment whatsoever from the vacation itself” when things do not go according to the original plan (Alloy et al., 1996, p. 269).

            “This personality disorder” differs from “obsessive-compulsive disorder” despite “a superficial similarity – the shared emphasis on rituals and propriety – has led to their bearing similar names, the two syndromes are quite different” (Alloy et al., 1996, p. 269). According to Alloy et al., (1996), “compulsiveness is not confined to a single sequence of bizarre behaviors” like “constant hand washing, but is milder and more pervasive, effecting many aspects of life” (p. 269). “While obsessive-compulsive disorder is not common, obsessive-compulsive personality is fairly common (more so in men than in women), and, people suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder generally do not also show obsessive-compulsive personality disorder” (Alloy et al., 1996, p. 269).

            “Though some jobs would seem to require a degree of “compulsiveness””, those with OCPD “rarely do well in their occupations due to a preoccupation “with trivia” and “because of their concern over doing things “just right”, they generally have tremendous difficulty making decisions and meeting deadlines (Alloy et al., 1996, p. 269). 

            There is a great deal of difficulty in diagnosing the various personality disorders across the three clusters due to their similarities, and the lack of research into them. Often people are diagnosed as having one personality disorder, while more properly fitting the criteria of another. Until there is more research and development into personality disorders, the study of them remains an incomplete science, and “a special caution is in order regarding the diagnosis of personality disorders” due to lack of “sharply defined” criteria (Butcher et al., 2010, p. 343).

References

Alloy, Lauren B., Acocella, Joan., & Bootzin, Richard R., (1996). Abnormal Psychology:

Current Perspectives. (7^th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Inc.

Butcher, James N., Mineka, & Susan., Hooley, Jill M. (2010). Abnormal Psychology.

(14^th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.