Obsessive, compulsive, and conscientious? The relationship between OCPD and personality traits

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Personality Disorders
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) is characterized by control, rigidity, orderliness, and perfectionism.
• OCPD appears definitionally linked to the personality trait of Conscientiousness.
• Disentangling the precise relationship between OCPD and personality traits requires detailed examination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between OCPD and personality at a facet level.
• To utilize multiple assessment methods and reports for OCPD and personality.
• To investigate the association between OCPD and each of the Big Five personality traits.

Main Methods:

• A sample of 1,630 adults completed self-report measures of personality and OCPD.
• Informant and interviewer reports were also collected for the participants.
• Bifactor models were employed to differentiate variance attributable to facets and general factors.

Main Results:

• Higher OCPD scores correlated with orderliness, achievement striving, and rigidity, but paradoxically, lower general conscientiousness.
• OCPD showed relationships with specific facets within each Big Five trait.
• A significant interpersonal component of OCPD was identified, suggesting potential relationship interference.

Conclusions:

• The relationship between OCPD and personality is better understood through specific tendencies rather than broad traits.
• OCPD's impact on interpersonal functioning is a critical aspect to consider.
• Facet-level analysis provides a more nuanced understanding of OCPD's connection to personality.