Illuminating ipsative change in personality disorder and normal personality: A multimethod examination from a prospective longitudinal perspective

Personal Disord. 2019 Jan;10(1):80-86. doi: 10.1037/per0000302. Epub 2018 Jul 16.

Abstract

Research suggests that both personality disorder (PD) and normal personality change as systems of variables (e.g., the general factor of PD), rather than as individual variables (e.g., neuroticism). Consequently, understanding PD and normal personality as multidimensional systems may yield additional insights over traditional single-variable approaches. Normal personality change has been attributed to increase across adaptive traits (i.e., the maturity principle), suggesting that shifts in the overall magnitude of construct expression plays a role in systemic change. We examined the extent to which total ipsative, system-level change was accounted for by shifts in the overall level of constructs (i.e., severity/maturity) as well as shifts in the configuration of PD and normal personality (i.e., style) across self-report and structured interview. Results demonstrated that overall change in PD and normal personality measured via self-report reflected both stylistic and severity change, whereas structured interview of PD primarily reflected shifts in profile severity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Female
  • Human Development / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Interview, Psychological*
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Personality / physiology*
  • Personality Assessment
  • Personality Disorders / diagnosis*
  • Personality Disorders / physiopathology
  • Personality Inventory
  • Self Report*
  • Severity of Illness Index*
  • Young Adult