Qualitative and quantitative distinctions in personality disorder.
The categorical-dimensional debate has catalyzed a wealth of empirical advances in the study of personality pathology. However, this debate is merely one articulation of a broader conceptual question regarding whether to define and describe psychopathology as a quantitatively extreme expression of normal functioning or as qualitatively distinct in its process. In this article I argue that dynamic models of personality (e.g., object relations, cognitive-affective processing system) offer the conceptual scaffolding to reconcile these seemingly incompatible approaches to characterizing the relationship between normal and pathological personality. I propose that advances in personality assessment that sample behavior and experiences intensively provide the empirical techniques, whereas interpersonal theory offers an integrative theoretical framework, for accomplishing this goal.
Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA. aidan@psu.edu
Aidan G C
AG
Wright
D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D009769:Object Attachment; D010551:Personality / Q000145:classification*; D010552:Personality Assessment; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology