This study will invoke a new perspective to the empirical analysis of classificatory systems called the prototype model. The methodology associated with the prototype model will be used to analyze the DSM-III classification of personality disorders. There are two stages in this study. Stage I will be a feasibility study to test the applicability of the prototype model to the classification of the personality disorders. Stage II intends to formulate a revised classification of personality disorders. Funding is only being requested at this time for Stage I of the research. The research in Stage I has two parts. In Part A, the focus will be on the identification of exemplar prototypes for the various personality disorders. There are six studies in Part A: (A.1) creating a pool of case histories, (A.2) identification of exemplars from the case histories, (A.3) verification of exemplars, (A.4) comparing exemplars to non-exemplars, (A.5) predicting exemplars among revised case histories, and (A.6) testing for possible sex bias in assigning personality disorder diagnoses. Part B will use an """"""""act frequency"""""""" approach to general objective characteristics that can be used in the diagnostic criteria for defining the personality disorders. Part B will contain seven studies: (B.1) face validity of the DSM-III-R criteria, (B.2) preliminary study of objective vs. subjective personality traits, (B.3) subjectivity vs. objectivity of the DSM-III-R criteria, (B.4) generating acts, (B.5) prototypicality ratings of acts, (B.6) comparing acts to DSM-III-R criteria, and (B.7) cross-validation of acts. Two groups of subjects will be used in this study. The first will be a group of general psychiatrists, randomly sampled from the membership of the American Psychiatric Association. The second will be a group of research psychiatrists, all of whom have published articles/books/chapters on the topic of the personality disorders. Throughout this research endeavor, two general goals will be paramount: (1) gathering information which could be used to improve the classification of the personality disorders and (2) testing the utility of the prototype perspective for understanding the classification of psychopathology.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01MH041081-03
Application #
3379547
Study Section
(PCBA)
Project Start
1987-03-01
Project End
1990-02-28
Budget Start
1989-03-01
Budget End
1990-02-28
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
1989
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Florida
Department
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
073130411
City
Gainesville
State
FL
Country
United States
Zip Code
32611
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