Cluster C personality disorders are primarily characterized by which core trait?

Cluster C personality disorders are primarily characterized by which core trait?

• A. Impulsivity and risk-taking
• B. Dramatic and flamboyant behavior
• C. Odd or eccentric behaviors
• D. Anxiety or fear

Answer: (C)

Cluster C disorders are defined by anxious or fearful patterns of thinking and behavior. This group includes avoidant, dependent, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorders, and they share tendencies such as hypersensitivity to rejection, excessive worry about uncertainty, a strong need for reassurance or approval, and a preference for control and order. Because of this predominant fear- or anxiety-driven style, anxiety or fear is the best descriptor for Cluster C. In contrast, impulsivity and risk-taking are more typical of some Cluster B disorders, which involve dramatic or erratic behavior. Dramatic and flamboyant behavior is also a hallmark linked to other Cluster B conditions. Odd or eccentric behaviors characterize Cluster A disorders, which include paranoid, schizoid, and schizotypal personality disorders.

Cluster C disorders are defined by anxious or fearful patterns of thinking and behavior. This group includes avoidant, dependent, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorders, and they share tendencies such as hypersensitivity to rejection, excessive worry about uncertainty, a strong need for reassurance or approval, and a preference for control and order. Because of this predominant fear- or anxiety-driven style, anxiety or fear is the best descriptor for Cluster C.

In contrast, impulsivity and risk-taking are more typical of some Cluster B disorders, which involve dramatic or erratic behavior. Dramatic and flamboyant behavior is also a hallmark linked to other Cluster B conditions. Odd or eccentric behaviors characterize Cluster A disorders, which include paranoid, schizoid, and schizotypal personality disorders.