Role of Object Relations and Personality Functioning in a Sample of Young Adults with Personality Pathology
Faculty Mentor
Kevin Meehan
Major/Area of Research
Psychology, Clinical Psychology
Description
INTRODUCTION: Due to the existing measurement and diagnostic issues that exist within the context of personality pathology, an Alternative Model for Personality Disorder was created in the DSM-5. Level of personality functioning is central to the conceptualization of the alternative model yet neither object relations functioning nor level of personality functioning has been sufficiently examined within the context of interpersonal problems individuals with personality pathology experience. As such, the current study seeks to examine the role of level of personality functioning and object relations functioning in interpersonal problems utilizing a sample of individuals with personality pathology, i.e. Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Gamers (MMPORG).
METHOD: Participants were recruited online and first asked to fill out multiple self-report questionnaires including a demographics form, Personality Inventory for the DSM-5 Reduced Form (PID-5 RF), Inventory of Interpersonal Problems Short Circumflex Form (IIP-SC), and The DSM-5 Levels of Personality Functioning Questionnaire (DLOPFQ). Secondly, they were then presented with four TAT cards and asked to audio record their responses. These responses were then coded using the Social Cognition and Object Relation Scale Global (SCORS-G) scoring system. A parallel mediation analysis was conducted to examine the indirect effects of both level of personality functioning and object relations functioning on the relationship between personality pathology and interpersonal problems.
CONCLUSION: While the overall statistical model was significantly able to predict interpersonal problems, only the indirect effect of levels of personality functioning was found to be significant. Limitations of this study include a sample that was targeted to capture schizoid personality features and the method variance introduced by including multiple reporting style measures. Due to the lack of insight that is often present in individuals with personality pathology, future research should continue to examine how best to capture personality pathology using a sample that includes more variance in personality pathology.
Role of Object Relations and Personality Functioning in a Sample of Young Adults with Personality Pathology
INTRODUCTION: Due to the existing measurement and diagnostic issues that exist within the context of personality pathology, an Alternative Model for Personality Disorder was created in the DSM-5. Level of personality functioning is central to the conceptualization of the alternative model yet neither object relations functioning nor level of personality functioning has been sufficiently examined within the context of interpersonal problems individuals with personality pathology experience. As such, the current study seeks to examine the role of level of personality functioning and object relations functioning in interpersonal problems utilizing a sample of individuals with personality pathology, i.e. Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Gamers (MMPORG).
METHOD: Participants were recruited online and first asked to fill out multiple self-report questionnaires including a demographics form, Personality Inventory for the DSM-5 Reduced Form (PID-5 RF), Inventory of Interpersonal Problems Short Circumflex Form (IIP-SC), and The DSM-5 Levels of Personality Functioning Questionnaire (DLOPFQ). Secondly, they were then presented with four TAT cards and asked to audio record their responses. These responses were then coded using the Social Cognition and Object Relation Scale Global (SCORS-G) scoring system. A parallel mediation analysis was conducted to examine the indirect effects of both level of personality functioning and object relations functioning on the relationship between personality pathology and interpersonal problems.
CONCLUSION: While the overall statistical model was significantly able to predict interpersonal problems, only the indirect effect of levels of personality functioning was found to be significant. Limitations of this study include a sample that was targeted to capture schizoid personality features and the method variance introduced by including multiple reporting style measures. Due to the lack of insight that is often present in individuals with personality pathology, future research should continue to examine how best to capture personality pathology using a sample that includes more variance in personality pathology.