Temperament and character in adults with Asperger syndrome.
To study the personality characteristics of adults with Asperger syndrome, and investigate the value of self-rating personality inventories, we administered the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) to 31 outpatients with Asperger syndrome. The TCI is a self-rating personality inventory that has been validated in the Swedish general population. The results were compared with age- and sex-matched norm groups. Participants with Asperger syndrome scored significantly higher on harm avoidance and lower on self-directedness and cooperativeness. Reward dependence and novelty seeking tended to be low. They also had significantly higher rarity scores, reflecting idiosyncratic perspectives. The most common temperament configurations were 'obsessional', 'passive-dependent' and'explosive'. Character, reflecting conceptual maturity, was poorly developed in the majority of our subjects. The self-ratings of persons with Asperger syndrome thus indicated anxious personalities with coping difficulties in the areas of social interaction and self-directedness, a picture corresponding to the clinical descriptions of Asperger syndrome.
Soderstrom
Henrik
H
Department of Forensic Psychiatry, Göteborg University, Sweden. henrik.soderstrom@rmv.se
Rastam
Maria
M
Gillberg
Christopher
C
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D020817:Asperger Syndrome / Q000523:psychology*; D002605:Character; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D010555:Personality Inventory; D013694:Temperament