Interpersonal behavior profiles of eight cases of DSM-III personality disorder

The present study used ratings of patients' interpersonal behaviors by groups of clinical trainees and undergraduates to test a priori classifications of DSM-III personality disorders onto the 1982 Interpersonal Circle. A sample of 8 videotaped personality disorder patient interviews were obtained from two psychiatric training tape series. A panel of 10 diagnosticians provided independent checks on the diagnosis assigned to the 8 patients by the training series and also rated the degree of prototypicality each case exhibited. Interpersonal characterizations of the interview behavior of the 8 patients were obtained from ratings of the tapes by undergraduate and clinical trainee observers. Findings revealed that interpersonal inventory ratings significantly differentiated the overt interpersonal behavior of the 8 patients, although the obtained interpersonal profiles appeared more complex and subtle than previous interpersonal translations suggest.