Reliability of observer ratings in the assessment of personality disorders: a preliminary study

A 200-item, self-report personality disorder inventory (Coolidge Axis II Inventory; CATI) was administered to 52 married target subjects. Their spouses and a close friend completed a significant-other form about the targets. The mean correlation across all personality disorder scales was .51 for the targets-spouses, .36 for the targets-friends, and .41 for the spouses-friends. Twenty-eight target-spouse correlations were significant and ranged from .99 to -.40. The mean correlation for the individual 13 personality disorder scales was .46 for target-spouses and ranged from .63 for the histrionic scale to .27 for the paranoid scale. The results were interpreted as establishing a basis for significant other assessment of personality disorders.