Relational Aggression and the Topography of Interpersonal Dysfunction in Youth:  Connections to Personality Pathology

Reardon, Kathleen Wade

doi:https://doi.org/10.21985/n2-bdzz-yt26

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Relational Aggression and the Topography of Interpersonal Dysfunction in Youth: Connections to Personality Pathology

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Problems in interpersonal functioning are a major concern. In adults, interpersonal dysfunction is often investigated as it relates to personality disorders (PDs). In fact, researchers have argued that a core of interpersonal dysfunction is what defines personality disorders (Hopwood, Wright, Ansell, & Pincus, 2013). This is perhaps most evident for Cluster B PDs (those typified by dramatic, erratic behavior and interpersonal instability; (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). However, much less is understood about the nature of interpersonal dysfunction in youth, despite the critical importance of social relationships to normal development. One construct that has received research attention in children is relational aggression (RAgg), or intentionally damaging someone’s interpersonal relationships through the purposeful use of manipulation or social exclusion. RAgg has been associated with many deleterious outcomes, including impaired social functioning, and is found to be relatively stable across developmental periods. This raises the possibility that RAgg may be an early instantiation of the type of dysfunction that is typical of Cluster B PDs. Indeed, RAgg has been associated with Cluster B PD characteristics both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. However, there is a clear need for research which integrates the developmental work on RAgg with categorical and dimensional representations of personality pathology to better describe the topography of interpersonal dysfunction in youth in a more integrated way. Specifically, a fuller understanding of interpersonal dysfunction may aid in identifying those at greatest risk for long-term problems, as well as those who would benefit most from early intervention efforts. Three studies interrogated interpersonal dysfunction in youth, and its relationships with personality broadly. First, Chapter 2 evaluated how RAgg is situated in normal personality space by calling on expert raters, and compared RAgg to Cluster B PDs in this context to understand which categorical PD diagnosis RAgg most resembles. Chapter 3 evaluated how RAgg is situated in dimensional pathological personality space by examining facet-level associations in the domain of disagreeableness, a construct which is central to the dysfunction observed in Cluster B PDs. In both Chapters 2 and 3, results indicated that RAgg is most like Narcissistic PD, which provides a different conclusion than much of the current literature, which focused on evidence for Ragg’s similarity to Borderline PD. Finally, Chapter 4 addressed a serious limitation in the measurement of personality pathology in youth through the creation and validation of the first short form of the Dimensional Personality Symptom Item Pool (DIPSI), a measure of youth personality pathology. Validation efforts included the creation of a nomological network for youth personality pathology, exploring the new measure’s connections to various constructs including personality, psychopathology, and social functioning. Overall, the findings from this dissertation suggest that RAgg is tightly connected to both normal personality and personality pathology in youth, and specifically to those facets relevant for Narcissistic PD. This dissertation also suggests that bringing the lens of youth personality pathology to bear on psychological constructs of interest can improve the understanding of the psychological content of that construct. Finally, this dissertation provides an efficient tool for facilitating the measurement of youth personality pathology in a broader range of investigations into challenges facing children and adolescents.

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