Abstract
Personality disorders are presumed to be stable because of underlying stable and maladaptive personality traits. It has been argued that it is the stability of these traits that makes personality disorders difficult to treat. Previous research has demonstrated a link between personality traits and personality disorders cross-sectionally, but the stability of personality disorders and personality traits have not been linked longitudinally. This study explored the extent to which relevant personality traits are stable in individuals diagnosed with four personality disorders (schizotypal, borderline, avoidant, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder), and examined the assumption that these personality disorders are stable by virtue of stable personality traits. This assumption was tested by the use of a cross-lagged panel design to evaluate whether changes in relevant personality traits lead to subsequent changes in personality disorders. In addition to large stability estimates for personality traits and personality disorders, the results demonstrated significant cross-lagged relationships between trait change and later disorder change for three of the four personality disorders studied. Results of the cross-lagged analyses are interpreted and discussed.
Warner, Megan Beth (2002). The temporal relationship of personality traits to personality disorders. Master's thesis, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /ETD -TAMU -2002 -THESIS -W264.