Self-other knowledge asymmetries in personality pathology.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Personality Psychology

Background:

• Self-reports offer valid insights into personality disorders (PDs).
• Informant reports provide unique information not captured by self-reports alone.
• Understanding the differential validity of self- versus informant reports is crucial for accurate PD assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether self- or informant reports are more valid for identifying personality disorders (PDs).
• To determine the conditions under which one reporting perspective is superior to the other in PD assessment.

Main Methods:

• A representative sample of 991 adults aged 55-65 was studied.
• The validity of self- and informant reports of the Five-Factor Model traits was compared.
• Predictive validity was assessed against composite personality disorder (PD) scores.

Main Results:

• Self-reports, especially Neuroticism, were more valid for internalizing PDs.
• Informant reports, especially Agreeableness and Conscientiousness, were more valid for externalizing/antagonistic PDs.
• Informant reports were also more valid for PDs with both internalizing and externalizing features.

Conclusions:

• The distinct intrapersonal and interpersonal aspects of PDs influence reporting accuracy.
• Different sources of information (self vs. informant) are more attuned to specific PD manifestations.
• This highlights the importance of considering multiple perspectives in PD diagnosis.