Fantasy proneness, dissociation, and DSM-IV axis II symptomatology

Scores on the Inventory of Childhood Memories and Imaginings (S. C. Wilson & T. X. Barber, 1981) identified fantasizers and controls who were administered the Structured Interview for DSM-IV Personality (SIDP-IV; B. Pfohl, N. Blum, & M. Zimmerman, 1994) and the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES; E. M. Bernstein & F. W. Putnam, 1986). Fantasizers had increased rates of Cluster A and B personality disorders but were equivalent to controls in Cluster C diagnoses. For both Clusters A and B, 55% of the fantasizers received clinical diagnoses. Fantasizers had significantly higher DES, DES-T (N. G. Waller, F. W. Putnam, & E. B. Carlson, 1996), and Normal Dissociative Index scores. Although nearly one half of the fantasizers' DES-T patterns were classified within the pathological dissociative taxon (N. G. Waller & C. A. Ross, 1997), none of the controls and only 10.03% of the original screening sample received this classification. Both Axis II pathology and pathological dissociation were associated with fantasy proneness.