title: Psychometric characteristics of the cluster B personality disorders under DSM-III-R and DSM-IV.
abstract: A stated goal for the latest revision of the DSM was improving the performance of the Axis II system. To evaluate the degree to which this goal was achieved, we performed a psychometric analysis of the Cluster B personality disorders (PD) as they are defined under the DSM-III-R and its successor the DSM-IV. Ninety-four patients with a primary PD diagnosis were rated for the presence of DSM-III-R and DSM-IV Cluster B PD criteria. From this symptom level data, the convergence, divergence, and internal consistency of the Cluster B criteria sets were determined. Also, kappa values were computed between the DSM-III-R and DSM-IV versions of these disorders as an index of coverage or agreement across the two systems. The results indicated that, in general, the DSM-IV Cluster B PDs represent an improvement over their DSM-III-R predecessors. However, some psychometric limitations, particularly regarding the convergence of the criteria sets, continue to be present.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 02114, USA. BlaisM@al.mgh.harvard.edu@Inet
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Blais
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Hilsenroth
authors.forename: F D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Castlebury
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies