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ABSTRACT: The Five-Factor Narcissism Inventory (FFNI) is a new self-report measure that was developed to assess traits associated with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), as well as grandiose and vulnerable narcissism from a five-factor model (FFM) perspective. In the current study, the FFNI was examined in relation to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text rev.; DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 2000) NPD, DSM-5 (http://www.dsm5.org) NPD traits, grandiose narcissism, and vulnerable narcissism in both community (N = 287) and clinical samples (N = 98). Across the samples, the FFNI scales manifested good convergent and discriminant validity such that FFNI scales derived from FFM neuroticism were primarily related to vulnerable narcissism scores, scales derived from FFM extraversion were primarily related to grandiose scores, and FFNI scales derived from FFM agreeableness were related to both narcissism dimensions, as well as the DSM-IV and DSM-5 NPD scores. The FFNI grandiose and vulnerable narcissism composites also demonstrated incremental validity in the statistical prediction of these scores, above and beyond existing measures of DSM NPD, grandiose narcissism, and vulnerable narcissism, respectively. The FFNI is a promising measure that provides a comprehensive assessment of narcissistic pathology while maintaining ties to the significant general personality literature on the FFM. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).
Psychological Assessment 05/2013; · 2.99 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Personality disorders (PDs) may be better understood in terms of dimensions of general personality functioning rather than as discrete categorical conditions. Personality-trait descriptions of PDs are robust across methods and settings, and PD assessments based on trait measures show good construct validity. The study reported here extends research showing that basic traits (e.g., impulsiveness, warmth, straightforwardness, modesty, and deliberation) can re-create the epidemiological characteristics associated with PDs. Specifically, we used normative changes in absolute trait levels to simulate age-related differences in the prevalence of psychopathy in a forensic setting. Results demonstrated that trait information predicts the rate of decline for psychopathy over the life span; discriminates the decline of psychopathy from that of a similar disorder, antisocial PD; and accurately predicts the differential decline of subfactors of psychopathy. These findings suggest that basic traits provide a parsimonious account of PD prevalence across the life span.
Psychological Science 03/2013; · 4.43 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The question of whether mental disorders are discrete clinical conditions or arbitrary distinctions along dimensions of functioning is a longstanding issue, and its importance is escalating with the growing recognition of the limitations of the categorical model. The purpose of this chapter is to review the
DSM-IV categorical diagnosis of mental disorder. The chapter begins with a discussion of the fundamental categorical distinctions, including the boundaries with normality and among the mental disorders. The discussion indicates the arbitrary nature of and problems created by these categorical distinctions. Reasons for maintaining a categorical model are then considered. The chapter concludes with a recommendation for an eventual conversion to a more quantitative, dimensional classification of mental disorders. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
10/2012;
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ABSTRACT: This chapter discusses effective procedures for assessing personality-disordered individuals. Topics discussed include instruments for the assessment of personality disorders, convergent and discriminant validity research, and issues to consider in the assessment of personality disorders. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
10/2012;
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ABSTRACT: One of the official proposals for the fifth edition of the American Psychiatric Association's (APA) diagnostic manual (DSM-5) is to delete half of the existing personality disorders (i.e., dependent, histrionic, narcissistic, paranoid, and schizoid). Within the APA guidelines for DSM-5 decisions, it is stated that there should be expert consensus agreement for the deletion of a diagnostic category. Additionally, categories to be deleted should have low clinical utility and/or minimal evidence for validity. The current study surveyed members of two personality disorder associations (n = 146) with respect to the utility, validity, and status of each DSM-IV-TR personality disorder diagnosis. Findings indicated that the proposal to delete five of the personality disorders lacks consensus support within the personality disorder community.
Journal of personality disorders 10/2012; 26(5):689-703. · 3.08 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The Five-Factor Model Rating Form (FFMRF) is a one-page measure designed to provide an efficient assessment of the higher order domains of the Five Factor Model (FFM) as well as the more specific, lower order facets proposed by McCrae and Costa. Although previous research has suggested that the FFMRF's assessment of the lower order facets converge reasonably with other FFM measures, the structural validity of the domain-level assessment has not yet been evaluated. The current study employed an exploratory structural equation modeling framework to investigate the fit of a five-factor solution within a combined sample of 757 participants. This was a novel analysis using a combined sample drawn from three previously published studies and was composed primarily of undergraduates but also included a smaller clinical subsample. Results indicated that the FFMRF is well accommodated within a five-factor solution. Furthermore, the FFMRF domain scores evinced large correlations with domain scores from the NEO Personality Inventory-Revised. The results suggest that the FFMRF might hold promise as a choice for those seeking a brief measure that provides a valid assessment of both the broad and specific traits of the FFM.
Assessment 08/2012; · 2.01 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The Elemental Psychopathy Assessment (EPA) is a new self-report measure of psychopathy designed to assess the personality
traits associated with psychopathy from a Five Factor Model perspective. The current study examined the validity of the EPA
in sample of undergraduates by examining the relations between the EPA scales and three validated self-report psychopathy
instruments, as well as assessments of aggression, substance use, and antisocial behavior. The EPA scales manifested strong
convergent validity with the extant psychopathy measures and an expected pattern of relations with measures of externalizing
behaviors. Overall, the EPA appears to be a promising measure of psychopathy which provides new opportunities to explore the
underlying structure of this construct and parse its relations with constructs central to its nomological network.
KeywordsPsychopathy–Assessment–Five-factor model–Aggression
Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment 05/2012; 33(3):315-322. · 1.55 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The five-factor model (FFM) is the predominant dimensional model of general personality structure. A considerable body of research supports the hypothesis that personality disorders can be conceptualized as extreme or maladaptive variants of the domains and facets of the FFM. However, existing measures of the FFM are confined largely to the normal variants. The purpose of this special section of the Journal of Personality Assessment is to provide the development and initial validation of self-report inventory scales to assess obsessive-compulsive, borderline, narcissistic, avoidant, and dependent personality traits from the perspective of the FFM, which complement the similarly constructed existing measures for psychopathic, histrionic, and schizotypal personality traits.
Journal of Personality Assessment 04/2012; 94(5):450-5. · 1.29 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: This study provides convergent, discriminant, and incremental validity data for the Five-Factor Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (FFOCI), a newly developed measure of traits relevant to obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) from the perspective of the Five-factor model (FFM). Twelve scales were constructed as maladaptive variants of specific FFM facets (e.g., Perfectionism as a maladaptive variant of FFM competence). On the basis of data from 407 undergraduates (oversampled for OCPD symptoms) these 12 scales demonstrated convergent correlations with established measures of OCPD and the FFM. Further, they obtained strong discriminant validity with respect to facets from other FFM domains. Most important, the individual scales and total score of the FFOCI obtained incremental validity beyond existing measures of the FFM and OCPD for predicting a composite measure of obsessive-compulsive symptomatology. The findings support the validity of the FFOCI as a measure of obsessive-compulsive personality traits, as well as of maladaptive variants of the FFM.
Journal of Personality Assessment 04/2012; 94(5):456-65. · 1.29 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: A new self-report assessment of the basic traits of avoidant personality disorder (AVD) was developed using a general trait model of personality (Five-factor model; FFM) as a framework. Scales were written to assess maladaptive variants of 10 FFM traits found to be robustly related to AVD across a variety of methods. In a sample of 291 undergraduates, the scales from the Five Factor Avoidant Assessment (FFAvA) proved to be internally consistent and strongly related to the original FFM scales from which they were derived. The FFAvA scales also demonstrated substantial incremental validity in the prediction of existing AVD measures and indexes of social discomfort over their FFM counterparts. The FFAvA provides an opportunity to examine AVD and its correlates using smaller, more basic units of personality rather than more global symptoms that might blend these elements.
Journal of Personality Assessment 04/2012; 94(5):466-74. · 1.29 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: This study provides psychometric data for a new self-report measure of borderline personality traits from the perspective of the Five-factor model (FFM) of general personality. Subscales were constructed in an undergraduate sample (n = 109) to assess maladaptive variants of 12 FFM traits (e.g., Affective Dysregulation as a maladaptive variant of FFM Vulnerability). On the basis of data from a second undergraduate sample (n = 111), the Five Factor Borderline Inventory (FFBI) subscales were shown to have good internal consistency, convergent, discriminant, and incremental validity. These psychometric results were replicated in a clinical sample of female residents at a substance abuse treatment facility (n = 94).
Journal of Personality Assessment 04/2012; 94(5):475-87. · 1.29 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: This study provides convergent, discriminant, and incremental validity data for a new measure of narcissistic personality traits created from the perspective of the Five-factor model (FFM) of general personality structure. Fifteen scales were constructed as maladaptive variants of respective facets of the FFM (e.g., Reactive Anger as a narcissistic variant of angry hostility), with item selection made on the basis of a criterion-keying approach using results from 167 undergraduates. On the basis of data from 166 additional undergraduates, the convergent validity of these 15 scales was tested with respect to 8 established measures of narcissism (including measures of both grandiose and vulnerable narcissism) and the respective facets of the FFM. Discriminant validity was tested with respect to facets from other FFM domains. Incremental validity was tested with respect to the ability of the FFM narcissism trait scales to account for variance in 2 alternative measures of narcissism, after variance accounted for by respective NEO PI-R facet scales and other established measures of narcissism were first removed. The findings support the validity of these new scales as measures of narcissistic personality traits and as maladaptive variants of the FFM.
Journal of Personality Assessment 04/2012; 94(5):500-12. · 1.29 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: This study provides convergent, discriminant, and incremental validity data for a new measure of dependent personality traits from the perspective of the five-factor model (FFM). Dependent personality trait scales were constructed as maladaptive variants of FFM facets (e.g., Gullibility as a maladaptive variant of FFM trust). Based on responses from 383 undergraduates, the convergent validity of the Five-Factor Dependency Inventory (FFDI) scales was tested with respect to 2 measures of the FFM, 6 dependency trait scales, and 4 measures of dependent personality disorder. Discriminant validity was tested with respect to FFM facets from alternative domains. Incremental validity was tested with respect to the ability of the FFM dependent personality trait scales to account for variance in 2 established measures of dependency, after variance accounted for by respective FFM facet scales and other measures of DPD was first removed. The results of this study provided support for the validity of the FFDI assessment of dependency from the perspective of the FFM.
Journal of Personality Assessment 04/2012; 94(5):488-99. · 1.29 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: It is evident that the conceptualization, diagnosis, and classification of personality disorder is shifting toward a dimensional model. The purpose of this special issue of Journal of Personality is to indicate how the five-factor model (FFM) can provide a useful and meaningful basis for an integration of the description and classification of both normal and abnormal personality functioning. This introductory article discusses its empirical support and the potential advantages of understanding personality disorders including those included within the American Psychiatric Association's (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and likely future PDs from the dimensional perspective of the FFM.
Journal of Personality 02/2012; · 2.44 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Although personality disorders (PDs) have been defined categorically throughout the history of psychiatric nomenclatures, the DSM-5 Personality and Personality Disorders Work Group proposed a substantial shift to a dimensional conceptualization and diagnosis of personality pathology. This proposal included the adoption of a trait model with 37 specific traits that fell within six higher-order domains. In addition, they specified that half of the current diagnoses be recast as types defined by narrative description, with the other half deleted. Instead, the deleted categories would be diagnosed through ratings on specifically assigned traits. The Work Group also specified a number of traits that are relevant to each of the five DSM-5 types. However, these assignments for the types and deleted DSM-IV PDs lack empirical justification. The current study examined the relations between the DSM-5 traits and PDs slated for inclusion and exclusion using an expert consensus approach. Researchers with expertise on specific PDs provided descriptions of either the DSM-5 type narratives or a prototypic case of DSM-IV PDs in terms of the trait model. The ratings by experts in the current study demonstrated moderate agreement with the Work Group's assignments, but also identified notable discrepancies between how these types were described by the Work Group and how they were perceived by other PD researchers. These results hold promise for improving the currently proposed system and will help inform researchers and clinicians who will ultimately use the DSM-5 model.
Personality disorders. 01/2012; 3(1):1-16.
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ABSTRACT: The Five Factor Model of Personality (FFM) has been proposed as a potential alternative to the current DSM-IV-TR model, which conceptualizes personality disorders (PDs) as categorical constructs. While an extensive literature has pointed out the flaws of the diagnostic categories, they are quite familiar to clinicians and there may still be instances when identifying these constructs for clinical purposes, such as for rapidly communicating information about a patient, is warranted. From the perspective of the FFM, the PDs represent specific constellations of personality traits and research has demonstrated that the PDs can be recovered by assessing the degree to which an FFM profile matches the FFM description of a prototypic PD case. The current study builds upon that research by assessing the convergent and discriminant validity of prototype scores and DSM-IV PD measures using self-report, informant report, semi-structured interview, and clinician descriptions. The results suggest that the prototype matching scores are largely valid across these methods for all PDs, with perhaps the exception of obsessive-compulsive. These findings are related to previous research and the clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
Journal of personality disorders 10/2011; 25(5):571-85. · 3.08 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-5 Personality and Personality Disorders Work Group proposed the elimination of diagnostic criterion sets in favor of a prototype matching system that defines personality disorders using narrative descriptions. Although some research supports this general approach, no empirical studies have yet examined the specific definitions proposed for DSM-5. Given the wide interest in borderline personality disorder (BPD), it is crucial to determine how this methodological shift might affect the content and conceptualization of the diagnosis. Eighty-two experts on BPD provided ratings of the DSM-IV-TR or DSM-5 version of BPD in terms of 37 traits proposed for DSM-5. Analyses revealed significant and meaningful differences among the two constructs, with the DSM-5 version evincing increased interpersonal dependency but a decreased emphasis on antagonism and disinhibition. A second study within a clinical sample demonstrated that both antagonism and disinhibition mediated the relationships between DSM-IV BPD and impairment, suggesting that the proposed changes might have important consequences for BPD's coverage, prevalence, and nomological network. More globally, our results illustrate that unanticipated shifts in diagnostic constructs can stem from seemingly minor revisions and suggest that research is needed to understand how these, or other changes, might affect our conceptualization, diagnosis, and treatment of BPD.
Journal of Abnormal Psychology 08/2011; 121(2):467-76. · 4.86 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The purpose of the current study was to examine the clinical utility of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 2000) and the Five Factor Model of personality disorder (FFM; Widiger, Costa, & McCrae, 2002) in describing personality pathology. In the current study, practicing psychologists described one or two of their personality disordered patients in terms of the FFM and DSM models. In some instances, the patient was someone who met the criteria for one of the 10 DSM-IV personality disorders; in others, the patient was someone who received a diagnosis of personality disorder, not otherwise specified. Participants then rated each model on six aspects of clinical utility. The current study found that the FFM was consistently rated higher than the DSM model in terms of four of the six aspects of clinical utility. Across both cases, the clinicians rated the FFM as significantly more useful with respect to its ability to provide a global description of the individual's personality, to communicate information to clients, and to encompass all of the individual's important personality difficulties.
Journal of personality disorders 08/2011; 25(4):463-77. · 3.08 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: A dimensional perspective on personality disorder hypothesizes that the current diagnostic categories represent maladaptive variants of general personality traits. However, a fundamental foundation of this viewpoint is that dimensional models can adequately account for the pathology currently described by these categories. While most of the personality disorders have well established links to dimensional models that buttress this hypothesis, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) has obtained only inconsistent support. The current study administered multiple measures of 1) conscientiousness-related personality traits, 2) DSM-IV OCPD, and 3) specific components of OCPD (e.g., compulsivity and perfectionism) to a sample of 536 undergraduates who were oversampled for elevated OCPD scores. Six existing measures of conscientiousness-related personality traits converged strongly with each other supporting their assessment of a common trait. These measures of conscientiousness correlated highly with scales assessing specific components of OCPD, but obtained variable relationships with measures of DSM-IV OCPD. More specifically, there were differences within the conscientiousness instruments such that those designed to assess general personality functioning had small to medium relationships with OCPD, but those assessing more maladaptive variants obtained large effect sizes. These findings support the view that OCPD does represent a maladaptive variant of normal-range conscientiousness.
Personality disorders. 07/2011; 2(3):161-74.
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Thomas A Widiger
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ABSTRACT: The personality disorders section of the American Psychiatric Association's fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) is currently being developed. The purpose of the current paper is to encourage the authors of DSM-V to integrate normal and abnormal personality structure within a common, integrative model, and to suggest that the optimal choice for such an integration would be the five-factor model (FFM) of general personality structure. A proposal for the classification of personality disorder from the perspective of the FFM is provided. Discussed as well are implications and issues associated with an FFM of personality disorder, including validity, coverage, feasibility, clinical utility, and treatment implications.
Journal of personality disorders 06/2011; 25(3):338-63. · 3.08 Impact Factor
