The Cognitive-Affective Processing Model (CAPS) suggests that personality is best understood as a collection of cross-situationally consistent traits that are expressed based upon features of the situation. This differs from the Five Factor Model (FFM) of personality, in which personality is believed to be composed of five broad trait domains that are observed consistently across multiple situations. This study compares the diagnostic accuracy of 202 licensed members of the Michigan Psychological Association who assessed personality pathology using short vignettes written to represent situationally-specific expression of traits (CAPS) compared to vignettes written with FFM trait description and DSM-IV TR description. The data suggest using CAPS descriptions yields more accurate diagnoses compared to using FFM trait descriptions and equivalent diagnostic accuracy when using the DSM-IV. Based on these initial findings, it appears that clinicians may be able to judge personality disorders better with situationally-specific, or context-dependent, information than simple trait descriptions.
","abstract_html":"<p>The Cognitive-Affective Processing Model (CAPS) suggests that personality is best understood as a collection of cross-situationally consistent traits that are expressed based upon features of the situation. This differs from the Five Factor Model (FFM) of personality, in which personality is believed to be composed of five broad trait domains that are observed consistently across multiple situations. This study compares the diagnostic accuracy of 202 licensed members of the Michigan Psychological Association who assessed personality pathology using short vignettes written to represent situationally-specific expression of traits (CAPS) compared to vignettes written with FFM trait description and DSM-IV TR description. The data suggest using CAPS descriptions yields more accurate diagnoses compared to using FFM trait descriptions and equivalent diagnostic accuracy when using the DSM-IV. Based on these initial findings, it appears that clinicians may be able to judge personality disorders better with situationally-specific, or context-dependent, information than simple trait descriptions.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Rhadigan, Cortney C"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Arts (MA)","degree_level":"Open Access Thesis","degree_discipline":"Psychology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Steven Huprich, PhD, Chair","Alissa Huth-Bocks, PhD","Sylvia Von Kluge, PhD"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2008,"date_issued":"2008-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2008-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:16:30Z","subjects":["Personality disorders Diagnosis","Psychodiagnostics","Psychology"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://commons.emich.edu/theses/192","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Steven Huprich, PhD, Chair","Alissa Huth-Bocks, PhD","Sylvia Von Kluge, PhD"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Rhadigan, Cortney C"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Psychology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Open Access Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts (MA)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Personality disorders Diagnosis","Psychodiagnostics","Psychology"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/192"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The Cognitive-Affective Processing Model (CAPS) suggests that personality is best understood as a collection of cross-situationally consistent traits that are expressed based upon features of the situation. This differs from the Five Factor Model (FFM) of personality, in which personality is believed to be composed of five broad trait domains that are observed consistently across multiple situations. This study compares the diagnostic accuracy of 202 licensed members of the Michigan Psychological Association who assessed personality pathology using short vignettes written to represent situationally-specific expression of traits (CAPS) compared to vignettes written with FFM trait description and DSM-IV TR description. The data suggest using CAPS descriptions yields more accurate diagnoses compared to using FFM trait descriptions and equivalent diagnostic accuracy when using the DSM-IV. Based on these initial findings, it appears that clinicians may be able to judge personality disorders better with situationally-specific, or context-dependent, information than simple trait descriptions.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Approaches to personality disorder diagnosis: Comparing the cognitive affective processing and the five factor models of personality"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Steven Huprich, PhD, Chair","Alissa Huth-Bocks, PhD","Sylvia Von Kluge, PhD"],"dc:creator":["Rhadigan, Cortney C"],"dc:description.abstract":["The Cognitive-Affective Processing Model (CAPS) suggests that personality is best understood as a collection of cross-situationally consistent traits that are expressed based upon features of the situation. This differs from the Five Factor Model (FFM) of personality, in which personality is believed to be composed of five broad trait domains that are observed consistently across multiple situations. This study compares the diagnostic accuracy of 202 licensed members of the Michigan Psychological Association who assessed personality pathology using short vignettes written to represent situationally-specific expression of traits (CAPS) compared to vignettes written with FFM trait description and DSM-IV TR description. The data suggest using CAPS descriptions yields more accurate diagnoses compared to using FFM trait descriptions and equivalent diagnostic accuracy when using the DSM-IV. Based on these initial findings, it appears that clinicians may be able to judge personality disorders better with situationally-specific, or context-dependent, information than simple trait descriptions.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/192"],"dc:subject":["Personality disorders Diagnosis","Psychodiagnostics","Psychology"],"dc:title":["Approaches to personality disorder diagnosis: Comparing the cognitive affective processing and the five factor models of personality"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Psychology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Open Access Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts (MA)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:16:30Z"}