Prejudice against jagged personality profiles: Rethinking bias in psychological research and clinical practice

Psychological research and therapy favor people whose personalities fit social and emotional norms: agreeable, engaged, and predictable. Those who deviate from these ideals are more likely to be misunderstood or mistreated. Individuals high in quarrelsomeness, low in social motivation, or prone to self-absorbed thinking and doing often irritate peers, researchers, and therapists. Also, people high in sensory processing sensitivity may struggle; treatment environments can overstimulate them, masking capacities. These mismatches increase dropout, misdiagnosis, and feelings of exclusion from healthcare spaces. This article examines how such biases are embedded in research and clinical work. We argue for a person-centered approach that recognizes jagged personality patterns as a legitimate expression of human diversity rather than defects.