Personality types and personality disorders / by Brandy R. Pierson.

Given that both personality types and personality disorders focus on enduring behavioral characteristics it is not surprising that scientists should strive to discover a relationship between the two. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between personality disorders as measured by the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire 4 and the personality traits of introversion, intuition, and thinking as measured by the Keirsey Temperament Sorter II. Significant findings included an overrepresentation of introversion for several of the personality disorders. Significant relationships were also found between thinking and several personality disorders. The results are consistent with the view that abnormal personality is a variant of normal personality rather than representing a qualitatively distinct category. Clinical implications are discussed.