Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 13, 2026
08:08
Straightforward Assay for Quantification of Social Avoidance in Drosophila melanogaster
Published on: December 13, 2014
The interpersonal problems of the socially avoidant: self and peer shared variance
Thomas L Rodebaugh1, Mayumi Okada Gianoli, Eric Turkheimer
1Department of Psychology, Washington University, St. Louis, 63130, USA. rodebaugh@wustl.edu
Journal of Abnormal Psychology
|May 12, 2010
Summary
Combining self and peer data on personality pathology improves understanding of avoidant personality disorder traits and interpersonal problems. This method offers more accurate insights than using individual perspectives alone.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Psychopathology
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Self-reports and peer-reports on personality pathology often yield discrepant findings.
- Previous research has not adequately integrated self and peer data for personality disorder traits.
- Understanding interpersonal behavior in personality disorders requires multi-source data.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a method for conservatively combining self and peer data on personality pathology.
- To examine the relationship between avoidant personality disorder traits and interpersonal problems using integrated data.
- To compare findings for avoidant, dependent, and narcissistic personality disorder traits.
Main Methods:
- Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to combine self and peer data.
- The study focused on traits associated with avoidant, dependent, and narcissistic personality disorders.
- Variance shared between self and peer reports was analyzed.
Main Results:
- Analyzing shared variance between self and peer data provided more consistent findings for avoidant personality disorder traits and interpersonal problems than using single-source data.
- This integrated approach yielded results aligning with theoretical expectations.
- Similar improvements in understanding were observed for dependent and narcissistic personality disorder traits.
Conclusions:
- Combining self and peer data through SEM offers a more conservative and accurate approach to studying personality pathology and interpersonal behavior.
- This methodology enhances the validity of findings related to personality disorder traits.
- The approach is effective across different personality disorder types, including avoidant, dependent, and narcissistic traits.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Personality Disorders: Narcissistic and Avoidant
Narcissistic and avoidant personality traits represent two contrasting patterns of behavior that significantly influence social interactions and self-perception. While individuals with narcissistic disorder seek admiration and validation, individuals with avoidant personality disorder withdraw due to fear of judgment.
Characteristics of Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Narcissistic individuals exhibit an inflated sense of self-importance and an excessive need for admiration. They are often...
Characteristics of Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Narcissistic individuals exhibit an inflated sense of self-importance and an excessive need for admiration. They are often...
01:20Social Foundations of Self II: The Generalized Other
According to George Herbert Mead, as children progress beyond the game stage, they develop a more comprehensive understanding of societal rules and norms. This cognitive and social development enables them to internalize the expectations of the broader community, refining their ability to regulate behavior.Consistent participation in organized activities is crucial in helping children recognize that their actions are not isolated but contribute to a more significant, interconnected group effort.
01:14Frustration and Conflict: Avoidance-Avoidance, Double-Approach Avoidance
Avoidance-avoidance conflict refers to a psychological situation where a person must choose between two or more unpleasant alternatives. These conflicts are particularly stressful because neither option is desirable. This dilemma is often expressed in sayings like "caught between a rock and a hard place" or "between the devil and the deep blue sea." For instance, individuals who fear dental procedures may find themselves torn between enduring a painful toothache or facing the anxiety of...
01:29Self-Discrepancy and Its Effects
Self-discrepancy theory explains how people compare their actual self to their ideal and ought selves and how mismatches between these self-guides can lead to emotional distress. Developed by E. Tory Higgins, the theory distinguishes among three components of self-concept: the actual self, the ideal self, and the ought self. These refer respectively to how individuals perceive themselves, how they aspire to be, and how they believe they are obligated to be. Emotional well-being, self-esteem,...
02:45Self-Discrepancy Theory
One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.
02:05Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping
People can go to great lengths to protect their self-image and present themselves in ways that they want others to see them. Sociologist Erving Goffman presented the idea that a person is like an actor on a stage. Calling his theory dramaturgy, Goffman believed that we use “impression management” to present ourselves to others as we hope to be perceived. Each situation is a new scene, and individuals perform different roles depending on who is present (Goffman, 1959). Think about the way you...