An investigation of diagnostic sex bias for narcissistic personality disorder, in comparison to histrionic and antisocial personality disorders

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Jeannette I. Kolker (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Advisor
Rosemery Nelson-Gray

Abstract: The present study investigated diagnostic sex bias. Specifically, the validity of the gender base rate hypothesis (i.e, relying on the gender base rate information provided in the DSM-III-R for differential diagnoses), which has previously been offered as an explanation for diagnostic sex bias, was tested against an alternative hypothesis, that clinicians base their diagnoses on gender sex role expectations. It was predicted that clinicians would display a diagnostic sex bias for Narcissistic personality disorder, which the gender base rate hypothesis could not explain, but the sex role expectations hypothesis could. This study also investigated how strictly clinicians adhere to DSM-III-R criteria when making diagnostic decisions. Three hundred and seventy-two doctoral level clinicians comprised the sample. Each clinician read one of eighteen versions of a case scenario, made a diagnosis, and completed several post-experimental questionnaires. A subset of the clinicians also completed a DSM-III-R criterion checklist.

Additional Information

Publication
Dissertation
Language: English
Date: 1994
Subjects
Personality disorders $x Diagnosis
Sexism in mental health services

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