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Josephine is a person who fears being less than perfect. She tries to hold her friends and lovers to the same standards and as a result has shallow emotional ties. She is likely suffering from

A) avoidant personality disorder.
B) obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.
C) histrionic personality disorder.
D) borderline personality disorder.

1 Answer

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Final answer:

Josephine likely suffers from obsessive-compulsive personality disorder due to her preoccupation with perfectionism and control that affects her relationships, distinguishing it from avoidant, histrionic, and borderline personality disorders. The correct option is B.

Step-by-step explanation:

Josephine displays behaviors indicative of a need for perfection and unrealistic standards for herself and others, which may lead to troubled relationships due to the shallow emotional connections that result from her high expectations. These characteristics suggest that she may be suffering from obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD).

OCPD is characterized by a preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and control, with little flexibility, open expression of feelings, or authenticity in relationships. This contrasts with avoidant personality disorder, which involves a pervasive pattern of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and hypersensitivity to negative evaluation.

Similarly, it differs from histrionic personality disorder, where there is a pattern of excessive emotionality and attention-seeking behavior, and borderline personality disorder, characterized by instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affect, with marked impulsivity.

According to the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, personality disorders like OCPD are enduring patterns of inner experience and behavior that deviate significantly from the expectations of the individual's culture.

Trait theory in psychology attempts to categorize human personalities through characteristic ways of behaving, yet it is important to recognize that personality disorders are complex and cannot merely be reduced to specific traits or behaviors. The correct option is B.

User Tadeusz Sznuk
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