Clinical Applications: What Can Multimethod Designs Tell Us about Personality Functioning?

Abstract

The goal of this commentary is to highlight clinical applications of personality assessment research via two recent studies that are distinguished by their use of innovative experimental, multimethod designs. These studies evaluate implicit behaviors as predicted by clinically relevant facets of personality functioning. Parallels to implicit behaviors evoked in the context of psychotherapy are discussed, as is the value of assessing and intervening on the subtle manifestations of personality dysfunction observed by clinicians, especially when they do not comport to the patient’s self-assessment.