Publications by authors named "Robert F Bornstein"

The degree to which schizoid and avoidant personality styles represent unique variants of interpersonal detachment remains controversial. This study contrasted core traits associated with schizoid versus avoidant personalities in a mixed-sex sample of 221 community adults, using the five traits that comprise the Alternative Model for Personality Disorders (AMPD). The International Personality Disorders Examination Screening Questionnaire was used to assess schizoid and avoidant personality traits; the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 was used to assess negative affectivity, detachment, antagonism, disinhibition, and psychoticism.

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The Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5) has become influential in the dimensional assessment of personality dysfunction. Though most studies have examined links between PID-5 trait domains and personality pathology, a number of investigations have assessed relationships between PID-5 scores and symptom disorders (e.g.

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Avoidant personality disorder was introduced in DSM-III (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 1980), and debate persists regarding the utility of having two separate variants of the "detached personality." The present study addressed this issue through ratings of open-ended self-descriptions provided by community adults with high scores on schizoid versus avoidant personality traits ( = 229). The self-concept of individuals with avoidant personality style reflected a lack of positive self-regard and low self-efficacy/agency.

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Introduction: People vary in the degree to which they affiliate with others; exaggerated efforts maintain interpersonal closeness versus distance are codified in longstanding categorical models of personality pathology, and in contemporary dimensional frameworks as well.

Objective: To examine associations between destructive overdependence (DO), dysfuntional detachment (DD), and healthy dependency (HD) and qualities of the self-concept.

Method: A mixed-sex sample of 229 adults completed the Relationship Profile Test to assess DO, DD, and HD, and the Object Relations Inventory (ORI) to assess qualities of the self-concept.

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Smartphones are increasingly widespread throughout the world and, although smartphones provide various benefits, excessive and maladaptive use is often reported. Given the penetration of smartphones in the individual's daily life, it is relevant to identify the mechanisms sustaining their use, including the affective bond that the owner may develop with the device. The aim of the current study is to test a novel model to explain smartphone and Social Network Sites (SNS) use from an interpersonal perspective.

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We examined discrepancies in 81 patient-therapist dyads' alliance ratings early in treatment (3rd or 4th session) in relation to Personality Assessment Inventory clinical scales, subscales and global psychopathology. Results indicated that PAI global psychopathology (mean clinical elevation) and the scales of Aggression [AGG], Somatization [SOM], and Anxiety-Related Disorders [ARD] were significantly, negatively associated with an absolute difference of patient and therapist alliance ratings at Session 3. Higher initial scores on these clinical scales at treatment onset are associated with less difference (i.

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This investigation examined links between three related personality styles as assessed with the Relationship Profile Test-destructive overdependence, dysfunctional detachment, and healthy dependency-and indices of health and health-related behavior in a mixed-sex (74% female) sample of 100 primary care patients with a mean age of 38.62 (SD = 12.99).

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Based on the results of prior research, we examined relationships between Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) items on clinical scales of antisocial features (ANT) and anxiety-related disorders (ARD) with patient- and therapist-rated alliance early in treatment (third or fourth session). We also explored the relationship between the PAI treatment rejection scale (RXR) and early session therapist-rated alliance, despite null findings in previous work. We used PAI protocols from a clinical outpatient sample (N = 80).

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How can assessors capture context-driven variability in personality and interpersonal behavior in ways that are both empirically sound and clinically useful? Scott et al. (2021) offer one potential solution as they discuss the Relational Self-Schema Measure, designed to assess variations in the self-schema across different relationship domains (e.g.

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This study presents the adaptation to the Italian context of the Relationship Profile Test (RPT; Bornstein & Languirand), a self-report measure of Destructive Overdependence (DO), Dysfunctional Detachment (DD), and Healthy Dependency (HD). The RPT was administered to a community sample of 661 nonclinical Italian adults together with the Attachment Style Questionnaire, the Relational-Interdependent Self-Construal Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Self-Compassion Scale, the Positive Affect-Negative Affect Scale, and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale. A randomly selected subset of participants (n = 67) completed the RPT again approximately 5 months after the first administration.

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We examined relationships between the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) clinical scales (e.g., Somatic Complaints [SOM]) and subscales (e.

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We used self-reported narcissistic grandiosity and vulnerability and a component derived from 11 potential grandiosity and narcissism variables (GNVs) coded from Rorschach behavior to predict fluctuations in self-esteem and their links to anger and defensive reactions. We assessed state mood, state self-esteem, and performance attributions in 105 college students who underwent a self-esteem manipulation involving success followed by failure on cognitive testing. Self-reported grandiosity predicted the disavowal of effortful ability as a factor in failure, but we did not replicate other previously reported findings for this variable.

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Increasing dissatisfaction with categorical personality disorder (PD) diagnoses has led to the development of dimensional PD frameworks, which have gained influence in recent years. Although most studies contrasting the dimensional and categorical frameworks focus on issues related to construct validity, there is a burgeoning literature evaluating the clinical utility of these two approaches, with studies typically contrasting clinicians' ratings of various dimensions of clinical utility in the 2 frameworks using case vignettes or actual patients. This study used meta-analytic techniques to synthesize extant findings in this area, integrating data from 11 studies (103 total effect sizes, of raters = 2,033) wherein clinical utility ratings of categorical and dimensional PD frameworks were compared.

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This study examined whether interpersonal dependency affects therapeutic outcome, using meta-analytic techniques to synthesize results from 31 studies (49 effect sizes; overall N = 3807). High levels of dependency were associated with more positive outcome in psychodynamic therapy (r = 0.11, p < 0.

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In their incisive and engaging commentaries Drs. Lilienfeld and Widiger make a number of cogent points regarding how personality pathology should be conceptualized and assessed, both arguing strongly that dimensional models are superior to categorical personality disorder frameworks. In this response, I describe areas of convergence and divergence between my perspective and those of my colleagues and argue that-current ascendance of dimensional models notwithstanding-the trait-type dialectic will continue into the future as empirical evidence and clinical experience illuminate previously unrecognized strengths and limitations of each approach.

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Borsboom et al. discuss the implications of network structures for neurobiology-based reductionism, but inherent in the network approach is that dimensional models of psychopathology are untenable as well. Insofar as mental disorders are complex dynamic constellations of symptoms, the "trait reductionism" of dimensional psychopathology frameworks suffers from the same limitations as neurobiological reductionism.

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Although dependency in its various forms has been widely studied, most investigations examine manifestations of dependency within individuals. Scrutiny of the literature reveals that synergistic dependencies-situations wherein both members of a dyad manifest excessive dependency of one form or another-play a role in some forms of partner and elder abuse. High levels of interpersonal or economic dependency in a woman coupled with high levels of interpersonal dependency in her male partner increase the likelihood of partner abuse.

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In recent years the limitations of traditional categorical frameworks for conceptualizing and diagnosing psychopathology have become increasingly clear, prompting the development of dimensional models wherein psychological dysfunction is assessed on a series of continua. Two frameworks have been particularly influential: the Alternative Model for Personality Disorders (AMPD) outlined in (American Psychiatric Association, 2013 ), and the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP; Kotov et al., 2017 ).

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The current debate regarding how best to conceptualize, operationalize, and assess personality pathology is often framed as a choice between categorical ("type") and dimensional ("trait") models, but when viewed from the perspective of the diagnostician, these two approaches actually have much in common. It is not possible to assign symptom ratings in any categorical personality disorder framework without first evaluating the severity of each symptom on a continuum, nor to implement dimensional personality disorder assessments in clinical settings without using thresholds that demarcate the presence of personality pathology, or severity of personality dysfunction. Although recent discussions of these two frameworks have focused primarily on issues regarding construct validity (and to a lesser extent, clinical utility), it is important to consider the impact of the diagnostic process as well.

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Objective: Theoretical conceptualizations of interpersonal dependency and dependent personality disorder suggest that (a) high levels of dependency in parents may increase risk for perpetration of child abuse and neglect and (b) children who are victimized may show elevated levels of dependency later in life. This study used meta-analytic techniques to examine these hypothesized links.

Method: A systematic search of psychological and medical online databases revealed 14 published studies (21 effect sizes) examining the link between parental dependency and perpetration of abuse or neglect (overall N of perpetrators = 1,321), and 14 published studies (25 effect sizes) assessing dependency in victims of child abuse and neglect (overall N of victims = 38,265).

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Depression is highly prevalent among college students and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Dependency is among the known personality traits that predict an elevated risk for depression. Prior research has focused on the depressogenic role of self-critical thoughts among destructive overdependent (DO) individuals but has not considered other internal processes (such as self-compassion) that might influence mental health.

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In recent years there has been increasing emphasis on evidence-based practice in psychology (EBPP), and as is true in most health care professions, the primary focus of EBPP has been on treatment. Comparatively little attention has been devoted to applying the principles of EBPP to psychological assessment, despite the fact that assessment plays a central role in myriad domains of empirical and applied psychology (e.g.

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In the present study, we assess the extent to which patient personality features and prototypes are associated with early treatment therapist-rated alliance. The study sample consisted of 94 patients receiving psychodynamic psychotherapy at an outpatient clinic. Clinicians completed the Working Alliance Inventory (J Couns Psychol 36:223-233; Psychother Res 9:405-423) to assess their views of early alliance and the Shedler-Westen Assessment Procedure 200 (SWAP-200; Assessment 5:333-353, Am J Psychiatry 161:1350-1365, 1743-1754; Am J Psychiatry 156:258-272, 273-285) to assess patient personality.

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