Hierarchical structure of personality. Some trait terms are quite specific (e.g., ”talkative") and describe a narrow range of behaviors, whereas others are quite broad (e.g., Detach- ment) and Characterize a wide range of behavioral propensities. Broad trait dimensions are called domains, and specific trait dimensions are calledfacets. Personality trait domains comprise a spectrum of more specific personalityfacets that tend to occur together. For ex- ample, withdrawal and anhedonia are specific traitfacets in the trait domain of Detachment.
Despite some cross-cultural variation in personality trait facets, the broad domains they collectively comprise are relatively consistent across cultures.
The Personality Trait Model
The Section III personality trait system includes five broad domains of personality trait variation—Negative Affectivity (vs. Emotional Stability), Detachment (vs. Extraversion),
Antagonism (vs. Agreeableness), Disinhibition (vs. Conscientiousness), and Psychoticism (vs. Lucidity)—comprising 25 specific personality trait facets. Table 3 provides definitions of all personality domains and facets. These five broad domains are maladaptive variants of the five domains of the extensively validated and replicated personality model known as the ”Big Five", or Five Factor Model of personality (FFM), and are also similar to the do- mains of the Personality Psychopathology Five (PSY-5). The specific 25 facets represent a list of personality facets chosen for their clinical relevance.
Although the Trait Model focuses on personality traits associated with psychopathol- ogy, there are healthy, adaptive, and resilient personality traits identified as the polar opposites of these traits, as noted in the parentheses above (i.e., Emotional Stability, Ex- traversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Lucidity). Their presence can greatly mitigate the effects of mental disorders and facilitate coping and recovery from traumatic injuries and other medical illness.
Distinguishing Traits, Symptoms, and Specific Behaviors
Although traits are by no means immutable and do change throughout the life span, they show relative consistency compared with symptoms and specific behaviors. For example, a person may behave impulsively at a specific time for a specific reason (e.g., a person who is rarely impulsive suddenly decides to spend a great deal of money on a particular item because of an unusual opportunity to purchase something of unique value), but it is only when behaviors aggregate across time and circumstance, such that a pattern of behavior distinguishes between individuals, that they reﬂect traits. Nevertheless, it is important to recognize, for example, that even people who are impulsive are not acting impulsively all of the time. A trait is a tendency or disposition toward specific behaviors; a specific behav- ior is an instance or manifestation of a trait.
Similarly, traits are distinguished from most symptoms because symptoms tend to wax and wane, whereas traits are relatively more stable. For example, individuals with higher levels of depressivity have a greater likelihood of experiencing discrete episodes of a depressive disorder and of showing the symptoms of these disorders, such difficulty con- centrating. However, even patients who have a trait propensity to depressivity typically cy— cle through distinguishable episodes of mood disturbance, and specific symptoms such as difficulty concentrating tend to wax and wane in concert with specific episodes, so they do not form part of the trait definition. Importantly, however, symptoms and traits are both amenable to intervention, and many interventions targeted at symptoms can affect the longer term patterns of personality functioning that are captured by personality traits.
Assessment of the DSM-5 Section III
The clinical utility of the Section IH multidimensional personality trait model lies in its ability to focus attention on multiple relevant areas of personality variation in each individual patient.