A Bright Side, Facet Analysis of Histrionic Personality Disorder: The Relationship Between the HDS Colourful Factor and the NEO-PI-R Facets in a Large Adult Sample

Abstract

This study looks at “bright-side,” Big Five Personality trait correlates of a “dark-side” Personality Disorder, namely Histrionic Personality Disorder (HPD). More than 5000 British adults completed the Neuroticism Extraversion Openness Personality Inventory-Revised (Costa & McCrae, 1985), which measures the Big Five Personality factors at the Domain (Super Factor) and the Facet (Factor) level, as well as the Hogan Development Survey (HDS; Hogan & Hogan, 2009), which has a measure of HPD, exclusively called “Colourful” in the HDS terminology. Correlation and regression results confirmed many of the associations between these “bright” and “dark” side individual difference variables. The Colourful (HPD) score from the HDS was the criterion variable in all analyses. Colourful individuals are high on Extraversion and Openness, but also Stable and Disagreeable. The Facet analysis identified Assertiveness and Immodesty as particularly characteristic of that type. The study confirmed work on HPD using different population groups and different measures, showing that personality traits are predictable and correlated with various personality disorders.

Keywords:

• agreeableness
• colorful
• conscientiousness
• disorders
• extraversion
• histrionic
• neuroticism
• openness
• traits

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Adrian Furnham

Adrian Furnham is affiliated with the Department of Psychology, University College London, and the Norwegian School of Management.