The trait perspective and the ten personality disorders Essay

One of the major theoretical areas in the study of the personality is the trait perspective. It suggests that individual personalities are comprised of broad dispositions, and it identifies and measures the characteristics that they are made up of (Cherry). The trait perspective helps to identify a person’s personality type (Myers). This perspective focuses on the difference between individual personalities and the traits that shape them. A trait is a stable characteristic that causes an individual to behave a certain way. A person’s personality is made up of a special combination of various traits that are unique to each individual (Cherry). In 1936, psychologist Gordon Allport categorized all of the traits into three levers:†¦show more content†¦There are ten personality disorders, each of which describes different malfunctions in the person’s characteristic combination. These disorders are categorized into three clusters; cluster A, cluster B, and cluster C. Disorders are placed into the cluster with other similar disorders. Cluster A is the â€Å"odd, eccentric† cluster, so paranoid personality disorder, schizoid personality disorder, and schizotypal personality disorder fit into this group. Cluster B is the â€Å"dramatic, emotional, erratic† cluster; it contains antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, histrionic personality disorder, and narcis sistic personality disorder. And lastly, cluster C is the â€Å"anxious, fearful† group, in which avoidant personality disorder, dependant personality disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder are placed (Hoermann). First of the disorders of cluster A is paranoid personality disorder. With this disorder, the patient normally has a history of pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of others. He or she will almost always believe the motives of others to be malevolent. 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