Graphical Analyses of Personality Disorders in Five-Factor Model Space

Abstract:

Current knowledge of the associations between personality disorders (PDs) and the five- factor model (FFM) is based largely on the results of linear correlation statistics. Yet we do not know whether FFM–PD associations are indeed linear, and correlational statistics are not directly informative regarding the FFM deviations of individuals with PDs. In this study, graphical analyses of FFM–PD associations for a large, clinical and nonclinical combined sample revealed a diversity of linear and nonlinear FFM patterns, at both the domain and facet levels, for most PDs. However, the FFM deviations from normative levels were only moderate. The discussion focuses on the strengths and weaknesses of the FFM approach to PDs.

Study 1:

The participants were 614 university students and 86 psychiatric inpatients and outpatients. They were administered the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI-III; Millon, 1994) and the NEO Personality Inventory Revised (NEO-PI-R; Costa & McCrae, 1992).  For each personality disorder, LOESS plots are provided for the five NEO-PI-R domain scores and for the six NEO-PI-R facets for each domain.

Study 2:

The participants were 694 university students. They were administered the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI-III; Millon, 1994), the MMPI-PD scales (Colligan, Morey, & Offord, 1994), and Goldberg's (1992) 50-Item transparent Big Five measure of FFM traits.

Reference:

O'Connor, B. P. (2005). Graphical analyses of personality disorders in five-factor model space. European Journal of Personality, 19(4), 287-305.

Click here to download all of the figures for the two studies.

Brian P. O'Connor
Department of Psychology
University of British Columbia - Okanagan
Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
brian.oconnor@ubc.ca