ABSTRACT
The present research examined the amount and kind of personality measured within four sets of personality disorder (PD) scales. Three samples of undergraduate students (Ns = 326, 537, and 617) completed at least one PD measure and a combined interpersonal circumplex model (ICM) and five-factor model (FFM) measure. The FFM dimensions were found to account for between 5% to 57% of the variance in personality disorder symptomatology depending on the PD examined and the PD measure employed. Consistent with previous research, Neuroticism and low Extraversion often emerged as the primary predictors of PD symptomatology, but variability in the particular aspects of personality assessed within each of the PD measures was apparent within the ICM and FFM findings. The implications of the findings for conceptualization and measurement of PDs are discussed.
