PSYC 341 Study Guide - Final Guide: Schizotypal Personality Disorder, Personality Disorder
Document Summary
Describe and differentiate between the cluster a personality disorders. Cluster a: paranoid, schizoid, and schizotypal personality disorders. Cluster a is called the odd, eccentric cluster. The common features of the personality disorders in this cluster are social awkwardness and social withdrawal. The paranoid personality disorder is characterized by a pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of other people. People with this disorder assume that other are out to harm them or humiliate them in some way. They put a lot of effort into preemptively themselves and keeping their distance from others. They tend to hold grudges, are litigious and display pathological jealously. Their perception of the environment includes reading malevolent intentions into genuinely harmless, innocuous comments or behavior, and dwelling on past slights. For these reasons, they do not confide in others and do not allow themselves to develop close relationships. Their emotional life tends to be dominated by distrust and hostility.
