Narcissism — In the clinical sense — a persistent pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and empathy deficit. Differs from healthy self-regard.
Personality disorders — Persistent and inflexible patterns of behavior, cognition, and inner experience that deviate from cultural expectations, causing distress or impairment. Classified into three clusters in DSM-5.
Borderline personality disorder — Pattern of instability in relationships, self-image, and affects, with marked impulsivity. Characterized by fear of abandonment, intense relationships, and rapid mood shifts.
Antisocial personality disorder — Pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others. Includes deceit, impulsivity, aggressiveness, irresponsibility, and lack of remorse. Related to the concept of psychopathy.
Humanistic Therapy — Person-centered therapeutic approach emphasizing self-actualization, unconditional positive regard, and the inherent growth potential of every individual.
Gestalt Therapy — Experiential therapeutic approach focused on present-moment awareness, authentic contact, and integration of dissociated aspects of experience.
The Dark Triad — Three socially aversive yet subclinical personality traits: narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy.
Positive Psychology — A branch of psychology focused on the scientific study of well-being, human strengths, and optimal functioning.
Emotional Intelligence — The ability to perceive, understand, manage, and use one's own and others' emotions to guide thinking and action.
Self-Esteem — A person's overall evaluation of their own worth, reflecting the degree to which they consider themselves competent and valuable.
Shame — A painful self-conscious emotion involving a global negative evaluation of the self, as distinct from guilt which focuses on a specific behaviour.
Narcissistic personality disorder — Pervasive pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of empathy. Includes grandiose and vulnerable variants, rooted in self psychology and Kernberg's theory.
Histrionic personality disorder — Pervasive pattern of excessive emotionality and attention-seeking. Historically related to hysteria, requiring differential diagnosis from borderline and narcissistic disorders.
Avoidant personality disorder — Pervasive pattern of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and hypersensitivity to negative evaluation. Often confused with social anxiety disorder.
Dependent personality disorder — Pervasive pattern of excessive need to be taken care of, leading to submissive, clinging behavior and fear of separation. Related to attachment theory and comorbidity with depression and anxiety.
Schizoid personality disorder — Pervasive pattern of detachment from social relationships and restricted emotional expression. Includes psychoanalytic understanding of the schizoid dilemma per Fairbairn and Guntrip.
Paranoid personality disorder — Pervasive pattern of distrust and suspiciousness of others whose motives are interpreted as malevolent. Requires differential diagnosis from delusional disorder.
Tests
Big Five (TIPI) — Ten-Item Personality Inventory (10 items)