PSYB30H3 Chapter 19: Chapter 19
Document Summary
The symptoms of personality disorders can be seen as maladaptive variations within several of the domains we have covered. These include traits, emotions, cognitions, motives, interpersonal behavior, and self-concepts. Personality disorders can be thought of as maladaptive variations or combinations of normal personality traits. e. g. a person very low on sociability but very high on anxiety might be prone to avoidant personality disorder. Thus, the concept of traits, such as the five-factor model of traits, can be especially useful for describing personality disorders. Motivation is another basic building block of personality that is important to understanding personality disorders. Describe what people want and why they behave in particular ways. A common theme in several personality disorders concerns maladaptive variations on these common motives, especially need for power and intimacy. Cognition also provides a building block for understanding personality disorders. Some disorders involve routine and consistent misinterpretations of the intentions of others.
