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A pervasive pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and
mental and interpersonal control, at the expense of flexibility, openness, and
efficiency, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts,
as indicated by four (or more) of the following:
- is
preoccupied with details, rules, lists, order, organization, or
schedules to the extent that the major point of the activity is lost
- shows perfectionism that interferes with task completion (e.g., is
unable to complete a project because his or her own overly strict standards
are not met)
- is excessively devoted to work and productivity to the exclusion of
leisure activities and friendships (not accounted for by obvious economic
necessity)
- is overconscientious, scrupulous, and inflexible about matters of
morality, ethics, or values (not accounted for by cultural or religious
identification)
- is unable to discard worn-out or worthless objects even when they have
no sentimental value
- is reluctant to delegate tasks or to work with others unless they submit
to exactly his or her way of doing things
- adopts a miserly spending style toward both self and others; money is
viewed as something to be hoarded for future catastrophes
- shows rigidity and stubbornness
The Dimensional Perspective
What does someone with Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) look
like? Here is a hypothetical personality profile for Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (speculatively constructed from McCrae, 1994, pg. 306):
- High Neuroticism
- Chronic negative affects, including anxiety, fearfulness, tension, irritability, anger, dejection, hopelessness, guilt, shame; difficulty in inhibiting impulses: for example, to eat, drink, or spend money; irrational beliefs: for example, unrealistic expectations, perfectionistic demands on self, unwarranted pessimism; unfounded somatic concerns; helplessness and dependence on others for emotional support and decision making.
- High Extraversion
- Excessive talking, leading to inappropriate self-disclosure and
social friction; inability to spend time alone; attention seeking and overly dramatic expression of emotions; reckless excitement seeking; inappropriate attempts to dominate and control others.
- High Openness
- Preoccupation with fantasy and daydreaming; lack of practicality; eccentric thinking (e.g., belief in ghosts, reincarnation, UFOs); diffuse identity and changing goals: for example, joining religious cult; susceptibility to nightmares and states of altered consciousness; social rebelliousness and nonconformity that can interfere with social or vocational advancement.
- High Agreeableness
- Gullibility: indiscriminate trust of others; excessive candor and generosity, to detriment of self-interest; inability to stand up to others and fight back; easily taken advantage of.
- High Conscientiousness
- Overachievement: workaholic absorption in job or cause to the exclusion of family, social, and personal interests; compulsiveness, including excessive cleanliness, tidiness, and attention to detail; rigid self-discipline and an inability to set tasks aside and relax; lack of spontaneity; overscrupulousness in moral behavior.
Character Weaknesses and Vices (derived from Michael Stone's (pg. 23) list of the "personality traits" of DSM-III-R Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder.)
- perfectionism
- excessive orderliness
- stubbornness
- "workaholic"
- indecisive
- scrupulosity
- reduced display of affect
- parsimony
- hoarding
The Behavior Perspective
- Preoccupation with details, rules, lists, order, organization, or schedules.
- Perfectionism that interferes with task completion.
- Excessive devotion to work and productivity.
- Overconscientiousness, scrupulosity, and inflexibility about matters of morality, ethics, or values.
- Hoarding
- Excessive interpersonal control.
- Miserliness toward both self and others.
- Rigidity and stubbornness.
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Symptoms, Causes and Risk Factors
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Reviewed: 04/2006
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