The New Personality Self-Portrait

(PSPQ)
Dr. Natividad Dayan
The New Personality Self-Portrait
The Personality Style—Personality Disorder Continuum
S T Y L E D I S O R D E R
Conscientious Obsessive Compulsive
Self-Confident Narcissistic
Dramatic Histrionic
Vigilant Paranoid
Mercurial Borderline
Devoted Dependent
Solitary Schizoid
Leisurely Passive-Aggressive
Sensitive Avoidant
Idiosyncratic Schizotypal
Adventurous Antisocial
Self-Sacrificing Self-Defeating
Aggressive Sadistic
Serious Depressive
Personality Style:
it’s your organizing principle. It propels you to your life path. It represents the orderly
arrangement of all your attributes, thoughts, feelings attitudes, behaviors, and coping
mechanisms. It is the distinctive pattern of your psychological functioning—the way
you think, feel, and behave—that makes you definitely you.
Your personality style is what causes—after you have gained thirty pounds, started to
turn gray, and began wearing glasses—your classmates at your twenty-fifth high
school reunion to exclaim, "Why, you haven’t changed a bit!” What has stayed the
same and is so easily recognizable is the way you react to others, your emotional
style, your way of reasoning and expressing yourself, you body language—the outward
effects of the core traits that have consistently marked your style since your earliest
years.
Your personality style is your own, utterly individual amalgam of fourteen separate,
identifiable styles. It can be pictured on a graph. All fourteen styles are normal and
universal. While each one brings its share of strengths and problem areas, there is
nothing “wrong” with any of them, and there’s nothing “abnormal” about having a
predominance of one or a lack of another. The styles and the infinite variety of
patterns that the Personality Self-Portrait can capture are but manifestations of the rich
and wonderful differences among us all.
Style vs. Disorder
You do, of course, grow and change throughout your lifetime, but you do so in your
consistent, characteristic manner. Your personality style is your way of being,
of becoming, and of meeting life’s challenges. Most people’s styles have a
built-in flexibility factor that allows them to deal with the hurdles thrown in their path.
They can adapt to change, which makes a variety of experiences possible. Other
people, however, find themselves up against the same old walls. They are locked
into rigid, inflexible personality patterns—personality disorders—that cause them to
have the same troubled, bored, empty, lonely, or disruptive experiences repeatedly
throughout their lives. “When an individual displays an ability to cope with the
environment in a flexible manner, and when his or her typical perceptions and
behaviors foster…personal satisfaction, then the person may be said to possess a
normal or healthy personality…
“Conversely, when average or everyday responsibilities are responded to inflexibly
or defectively, or when the individual’s perceptions and behaviors result in…
personal discomfort or curtail opportunities to learn and to grow, then we may speak
of a pathological or maladaptive pattern.” —Theodore Millon, psychologist.
The Six Domains
Flexibly or otherwise, your personality etches its distinctive imprint on six key areas of life: your Self; your Relationships; your Work;
your Emotions; your Self-Control; and your notions about the Real World. Modern psychiatric thinking has determined that these six
domains are fundamental to the assessment of your personality pattern.
 Self. This includes your sense of self, your self-esteem, your self-image—the way you see, think and feel about yourself, your place in
the universe, and your place in other people’s estimation.
 How do you think and feel about yourself? What do you think about your body? Where do you place yourself in the universe and in
other people’s estimation? Who comes first, you or them? What do you dream for yourself? Questions such as these reveal what is
normal for you in the Self domain.
 Relationships. This domain is a dominant factor in more than half of all personality styles. It defines how important other people are
to us and how we lead our lives. Besides being individuals, we are members of families, couples, friendships, school classes,
communities, business organizations, even crowds of strangers. The nature and style of our reactions and involvements with these
other people reveal a great deal.
 Work. This domain encompasses you style of “doing,” and—through play, school, career, housework, child care, chores, and hobbies
—you’ve been spending your day working at something virtually all you life. your personality style reveals itself in how you complete
tasks, take and/or give orders, make decisions, plan, handle external and internal demands, take or give criticism, obey rules, take and
delegate responsibility, and cooperate with other people.
What you choose to do in your life, how you choose it, and how you deal with Work-domain difficulties (including being out of work or
having to work two jobs to make ends meet) are also revealing of your personality style.
 Emotions. The emotions or feelings domain includes your usual moods and emotional states, such as happiness, sadness, sexual
feelings, anger, irritability, fear, anxiety, and sensitivity to praise and to criticism. Level of emotional intensity—from hot and high-
pitched to cool and imperturbable—is a feature of this domain as well.
 Self-control. This domain—your control or your impulsiveness—rules your level of spontaneity and ability to act on impulse, your risk-
taking behavior, your ability to forestall rewards and fulfillment, your planning skill, your self-discipline, your frustration tolerance, and
your ability to stop and think before you act.
 Real World. Philosophers have disagreed about the nature of reality since earliest times. In personality assessment, psychiatrists are
less interested in what’s “true” than in the degree to which your ideas vary from the prevailing standard and how these notions
influence your behavior.
1. CONSCIENTIOUS STYLE
“The Right Stuff” The EIGHT Characteristics
 Hard work. The Conscientious person is dedicated to work, works very hard, and is capable of intense,
single-minded effort.
 The right thing. To be Conscientious is to be a person of conscience. These are men and women of
strong moral principles and values. Opinions and beliefs on any subject are rarely held lightly.
Conscientious individuals want to do the right thing.
 The right way. Everything must be done “right,” and the Conscientious person has a clear
understanding of what that means, from the correct way to balance the checkbook, to the best strategy
to achieve the boss’s objectives, to how to fit every single dirty dish into the dishwasher.
 Perfectionism. The Conscientious person likes all tasks and projects to be complete to the final detail,
without even minor flaws.
 Perseverance. They stick to their convictions and opinions. Opposition only serves to strengthen their
dogged determination.
 Order and detail. Conscientious people like the appearance of orderliness and tidiness. They are good
organizers, catalogers, and life makers. No detail is too small for Conscientious consideration.
 Prudence. Thrifty, careful, and cautious in all areas of their lives, Conscientious individuals do not give
in to reckless abandon or wild excess.
 Accumulation. A “pack rat,” the Conscientious person saves and collects things, reluctant to discard
anything that has, formerly had, or someday
KEY DOMAIN: WORK
2. SELF-CONFIDENT STYLE
“Star Quality”
The NINE Characteristics
 Self-regard. Self-confident individuals believe in themselves and in their abilities. They have
no doubt that they are unique and special and that there is a reason for their being on this
planet.
 The red carpet. They expect others to treat them well at all times.
 Ambition. Self-confident people are unabashedly open about their aspirations and possibilities.
 Politics. They are able to take advantage of the strengths and abilities of other people in order
to achieve their goals, and they are shrewd in their dealings with others.
 Competition. They are able competitors, they love getting to the top, and they enjoy staying
there.
 Stature. They identify with people of high rank and status.
 Dreams. Self-confident individuals are able to visualize themselves as the hero, the star, the
best in their role, or the most accomplished in their field.
 Self-awareness. These individuals have a keen awareness of their thoughts and feelings and
their overall inner state of being.
 Poise. People with Self-Confident personality style accept compliments, praise, and admiration
gracefully and with self-possession.
KEY DOMAIN: SELF
3. DRAMATIC STYLE
“The Life of the Party”
The SEVEN Characteristics
 Feelings. Dramatic men and women live in an emotional world. They are
sensation oriented, emotionally demonstrative, and physically affectionate.
They react emotionally to events and can shift quickly from mood to mood.
 Color. They experience life vividly and expansively. They have rich
imaginations, they tell entertaining stories, and they are drawn to romance and
melodrama.
 Attention. Dramatic people like to be seen and noticed. They are often the
center of attention, and they rise to the occasion when all eyes are on them.
 Appearance. They pay a lot of attention to grooming, and they enjoy clothes,
style, and fashion.
 Sexual attraction. In appearance and behavior, Dramatic individuals enjoy their
sexuality. They are seductive, engaging, charming tempters and temptresses.
 Engagement. Easily putting their trust in others, they are able to become
quickly involved in relationships.
 The spirit is willing. People with Dramatic personality style eagerly respond to
new ideas and suggestions from others.
KEY DOMAINS: EMOTIONS & RELATIONSHIPS
4. VIGILANT STYLE
“The Survivor”
The SIX Characteristics
 Autonomy. Vigilant-style individuals possess a resilient independence.
They keep their own counsel, they require no outside reassurance or
advice, they make decisions easily, and they can take care of
themselves.
 Caution. They are careful in their dealings with others, preferring to
size up a person before entering into a relationship.
 Perceptiveness. They are good listeners, with an ear for subtlety, tone,
and multiple levels of communication.
 Self-defense. Individuals with Vigilant style are feisty and do not
hesitate to stand up for themselves, especially when they are under
attack.
 Alertness to criticism. They take criticism very seriously, without
becoming intimidated.
 Fidelity. They place a high premium on fidelity and loyalty. They work
hard to earn it, and they never take it for granted.
KEY DOMAIN: RELATIONSHIPS
5. MERCURIAL STYLE
“Fire and Ice”
The SEVEN Characteristics
 Romantic attachment. Mercurial individuals must always be deeply involved in
a romantic relationship with one person.
 Intensity. They experience a passionate, focused attachment in all their
relationships. Nothing that goes on between them and other people is trivial,
nothing taken lightly.
 Heart. They show what they feel. They are emotionally active and reactive.
Mercurial types put their hearts into everything.
 Unconstraint. They are uninhibited, spontaneous, fun-loving, and undaunted
by risk.
 Activity. Energy marks the Mercurial style. These individuals are lively,
creative, busy, and engaging. They show initiative and can stir others to
activity.
 Open mind. They are imaginative and curious, willing to experience and
experiment with other cultures, roles, and value systems and to follow new
paths.
 Alternate states. People with Mercurial style are skilled at distancing or
distracting themselves from reality when it is painful or harsh.
KEY DOMAINS: RELATIONSHIPS + EMOTIONS & SELF-CONTROL
6. DEVOTED STYLE
“The Good Mate”
The SEVEN Characteristics
 Commitment. Individuals with the Devoted personality style are thoroughly dedicated to
the relationships in their lives. They place the highest value on sustained relationships,
they respect the institution of marriage as well as unofficial avowals of commitment, and
they work hard to keep their relationships together.
 Togetherness. They prefer the company of one or more people to being alone.
 Teamwork. People with this personality style would rather follow than lead, they are
cooperative and respectful of authority and institutions. They easily rely on others and
take direction well.
 Deference. When making decisions, they are happy to seek out others’ opinions and to
follow their advice.
 Harmony. Devoted individuals are careful to promote good feelings between
themselves and the important people in their lives. To promote harmony, they tend to
be polite, agreeable, and tactful.
 Consideration. They are thoughtful of others and good at pleasing them. Devoted
people will endure personal discomfort to do a good turn for the key people in their lives.
 Attachment. Relationships provide life’s meaning for this personality style. Even after a
painful loss of someone around whom their life was centered, they are able to form new
meaningful bonds.
KEY DOMAIN: RELATIONSHIPS
7. SOLITARY STYLE
“The Loner”
The SIX Characteristics
 Solitude. Individuals with the Solitary personality style have small
need of companionship and are most comfortable alone.
 Independence. They are self-contained and do not require
interaction with others in order to enjoy their experiences or to get
on in life.
 Sangfroid. Solitary men and women are even-tempered, calm,
dispassionate, unsentimental, and unflappable.
 Stoicism. They display an apparent indifference to pain and
pleasure.
 Sexual composure. They are not driven by sexual needs. They
enjoy sex but will not suffer in its absence.
 Feet on the ground. They are unswayed by either praise or criticism
and can confidently come to terms with their own behavior.
KEY DOMAINS: SELF & EMOTIONS
8. LEISURELY STYLE
“California Dreaming”
The SEVEN Characteristics
 Inalienable rights. Leisurely men and women believe in their right to enjoy themselves on
their own terms in their own time. They value and protect their comfort, their free time, and
their individual pursuit of happiness.
 Enough is enough. They agree to play by the rules. They deliver what is expected of
them and no more. They expect others to recognize and respect that limit.
 The right to resist. Leisurely individuals cannot be exploited. They can comfortable resist
acceding to demands that they deem unreasonable or above and beyond the call of duty.
 Manana. Leisurely men and women are relaxed about time. Unlike Type-A individuals,
they are not obsessed by time urgency or the demands of the clock. To these individuals,
haste makes waste and unnecessary anxiety. They are easygoing and optimistic that
whatever needs to get done will get done, eventually.
 I’m okay. They are not overawed by authority. They accept themselves and their
approach to life.
 Wheel of fortune. Leisurely people believe that they are just as good as everyone else and
as entitled to the best things in life. They maintain that blind luck often accounts for who
fares well and who fares poorly.
 Mixed feelings. Although they feel impelled to proceed in their own direction, when their
choices put them in conflict with the people they care for, Leisurely people are often of two
minds about how to proceed. They do not like to risk important relationships, yet they
need to feel free.
KEY DOMAINS: SELF & RELATIONSHIPS
9. SENSITIVE STYLE
“The Homebody”
The SIX Characteristics
 Familiarity. Individuals with Sensitive personality style prefer the known
to the unknown. They are comfortable with, even inspired by, habit,
repetition, and routine.
 Concern. Sensitive individuals care deeply about what other people
think of them.
 Circumspection. They behave with deliberate discretion in their
dealings with others. They do not make hasty judgments or jump in
before they know what is appropriate.
 Polite reserve. Socially they take care to maintain a courteous, self-
restrained demeanor.
 Role. They function best in scripted settings, vocationally and socially:
when they know precisely what is expected of them, how they are
supposed to related to others, and what they are expected to say.
 Privacy. Sensitive men and women are not quick to share their
innermost thoughts and feelings with others, even those they know well.
KEY DOMAIN: EMOTIONS & RELATIONSHIPS
10. IDIOSYNCRATIC STYLE
“The Different Drummer”
The SIX Characteristics
 Inner life. Idiosyncratic individuals are tuned in to and sustained by
their own feelings and belief systems, whether or not others accept
or understand their particular worldview or approach to life.
 Own world. They are self-directed and independent, requiring few
close relationships.
 Own thing. Oblivious to convention, Idiosyncratic individuals create
interesting, unusual, often eccentric lifestyles.
 Expanded reality. Open to anything, they are interested in the
occult, the extrasensory, and the supernatural.
 Metaphysics. They are drawn to abstract and speculative thinking.
 Outward view. Though they are inner0directed and follow their own
hearts and minds, Idiosyncratic men and women are keen
observers of others, particularly sensitive to how other people react
to them.
KEY DOMAIN: REAL WORLD + SELF
11. ADVENTUROUS STYLE
“The Challenger”
The EIGHT Characteristics
 Nonconformity. Men and women who have the Adventurous personality style live by
their own internal code of values. They are not strongly influenced by other people
or by the norms of society.
 Challenge. To live is to dare. Adventurers love the thrill of risk and routinely engage
in high-risk activities.
 Mutual independence. They do not worry too much about others, for they expect
each human being to be responsible for him- or herself.
 Persuasiveness. They are silver-tongued, gifted in the gentle art of winning friends
and influencing people.
 Wanderlust. They love to keep moving. They settle down only to have the urge to
pick up and go, explore, move out, move on. They do not worry about finding work,
and live well by their talents, skills, ingenuity, and wits.
 Wild oats. In their childhood and adolescence, people with the Adventurous
personality style were usually high-spirited hell-raisers and mischief makers.
 True grit. They are courageous, physically bold, and tough. They will stand up to
anyone who dares to take advantage of them.
 No regrets. Adventurers live in the present. They do not feel guilty about the past or
anxious about the future. Life is meant to be experienced now.
KEY DOMAINS: SELF-CONTROL & SELF
12. SELF-SACRIFICING STYLE
“The Altruist”
The SEVEN Characteristics
 Generosity. Individuals with the Self-Sacrificing personality style will give you the
shirts off their backs if you need them. They do not wait to be asked.
 Service. Their “prime directive” is to be helpful to others. Out of deference to
others, they are noncompetitive and unambitious, comfortable coming second,
even last.
 Consideration. Self-Sacrificing people are always considerate in their dealings with
others. They are ethical, honest, and trustworthy.
 Acceptance. They are nonjudgmental, tolerant of others’ foibles, and never harshly
reproving. They’ll stick with you through thick and thin.
 Humility. They are neither boastful nor proud, and they’re uncomfortable being
fussed over. Self-Sacrificing men and women do not like being the center of
attention; they are uneasy in the limelight.
 Endurance. They are long-suffering. They prefer to shoulder their own burdens in
life. They have much patience and a high tolerance for discomfort.
 Artlessness. Self-Sacrificing individuals are rather naïve and innocent. They are
unaware of the often deep impact they make on other people’s lives, and they tend
never to suspect deviousness or underhanded motives in the people to whom they
give so much of themselves.
 KEY DOMAIN: RELATIONSHIPS
13. AGGRESSIVE STYLE
“Top Dog”
The SIX Characteristics
 Command. Aggressive individuals take charge. They are comfortable
with power, authority, and responsibility.
 Hierarchy. They operate best within a traditional power structure where
everyone knows his or her place and the lines of authority are clear.
 Tight ship. They are highly disciplined and impose rules of order that
they expect others in their charge to follow.
 Expedience. Aggressive men and women are highly goal-directed.
They take a practical, pragmatic approach to accomplishing their
objectives. They do what is necessary to get the job done.
 Guts. They are neither squeamish nor fainthearted. They can function
well and bravely in difficult and dangerous situations without being
distracted by fear or horror.
 The rough-and-tumble. Aggressive people like action and adventure.
They are physically assertive and often participate in or enjoy playing
competitive sports, especially contact sports.
KEY DOMAINS: RELATIONSHIPS & WORK
14. SERIOUS STYLE
“The Realist”
The SEVEN Characteristics
 Straight face. Individuals with the Serious personality style maintain a sober
demeanor. They are solemn and not given to emotional expression.
 No pretentions. They are realistically aware of their own capabilities, but they
are also aware of their own limitations; they are not tempted by vanity or self-
importance.
 Accountability. Serious people hold themselves responsible for their actions.
They will not soft-pedal their own faults and do not let themselves off the hook.
 Cogitation. They’re thinkers, analyzers, evaluators, ruminators: They’ll always
play things over in their minds before they act.
 Nobody’s fool. Men and women with Serious personality style are sharp
appraisers of others. In their ability to critique other people, they are as
unhesitating as in their own self-evaluation.
 No surprises. They anticipate problems and when the worst happens, they’re
prepared to deal with it.
 Contrition. Serious people suffer greatly when they realize they’ve been
thoughtless or impolite to others.
KEY DOMAINS: WORK & EMOTIONS