Personality, interpersonal circumplex, and DSM-5: A commentary on five studies

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Personality Psychology

Background:

• Personality is largely interpersonal, effectively organized by agency and communion dimensions.
• The interpersonal circumplex model enhances understanding of personality and personality disorders.
• Maladaptive interpersonal functioning is crucial for clinical assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comment on five studies examining the interpersonal perspective in personality assessment.
• To evaluate the contributions of these studies in light of proposed diagnostic revisions.
• To discuss the potential impact of nomenclature changes on the interpersonal circumplex.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and commentary.
• Analysis of five empirical studies on interpersonal personality assessment.
• Contextualization within proposed changes to the American Psychiatric Association's personality disorder nomenclature.

Main Results:

• The interpersonal perspective offers valuable insights into personality and personality disorders.
• Proposed diagnostic revisions may exclude significant portions of the interpersonal circumplex.
• The reviewed studies highlight the continued importance of interpersonal dynamics in assessment.

Conclusions:

• The interpersonal circumplex remains a vital framework for understanding personality and personality disorders.
• Clinical assessment must integrate the evaluation of maladaptive interpersonal functioning.
• Future diagnostic systems should carefully consider the implications for established personality models.