PERSONALITY AND PERSONALITY-DISORDERS - A FACET THEORETICAL-ANALYSIS OF SIMILARITY RELATIONSHIPS

Relevant categorical and dimensional models of personality, personalit y disorders (PD) and their interrelationships will be discussed under the hypothetical perspective, that higher order personality traits str ucture the personality of normal persons as well as of the mentally il l, and that no principle, but only a gradual difference exists between normal personalities and PDs. A facet theoretical analysis of the str uctural relationships between personality factors and PDs is described , for which data have been collected from a non-clinical sample (N = 1 00), a consecutive, nosologically heterogenous clinical sample (N = 16 5), and from a specific sample of self-mutilators (N = 51). Results sh ow, that the two classes of variables can be attached to each other in a similar manner and structured in form of a radex in all three sampl es. However, differences were found, as well, especially with regard t o the significance of two personality factors, neurotizism and aggress iveness.