Personality Vs Personality Disorder

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How does psychologists differentiate between personality traits and a disorder? According to What is Psychology, “Personality is the unique collection of attitudes, emotions, thoughts, habits, impulses, and behaviors that define how a person typically behaves across situations.” (Pastorino & Doyle-Portillo, pg. 462, 2015). How about the definition of a personality disorder? Well according to the video Personality Disorders, defining a personality disorder isn’t easy. Some psychologists believe it’s the definition of a person’s character while others believe it’s their behavior. Due to this inconclusive definition of a personality disorder, it can be difficult to distinguish a disorder from a personality trait. Now, the overview of the video Personality Disorders details 3 personality disorders and their symptoms or behaviors. However, it additionally explains the numerous factors that can affect or even change someone’s personality which includes genetics, drug use, drug interactions and even the environment (Personality disorders, 1997). These numerous factors can in turn manipulate someone’s personality and cause changes in their behavior that may not contribute to a disorder. To …show more content…

Many conducted research by looking into identical twins and their personality types. Even when the twins were separated, they expressed some of the same behaviors and traits as their twin which concluded that some traits are inheritable. This thought can go deeper into the brain through a domain called personality neuroscience where people have discovered the dopamine receptor gene (Pastorino & Doyle-Portillo, pg. 479, 2015). This gene influences the amount of serotonin in the brain and can cause greater anxiety levels in these people. The founding of this gene solidifies the fact that biology and personality are indeed

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