Adjectival descriptions of personality disorders: a convergent validity study of the MCMI-III

The responses to a 469-item list of adjectives (consensually validated by national experts as representing key descriptors for each personality disorder) from 202 male substance abusers in outpatient treatment were correlated with their responses to the MCMI-III, a frequently used test for the assessment of personality disorders. Results suggested good convergent validity for the interpersonal descriptive domain for the MCMI-III scales. The Histrionic scale had extremely high convergent validity.