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An Empirical Investigation of a New Measure to Assess Adult

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An Empirical Investigation of a New Measure to Assess Adult AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION OF A NEW MEASURE TO ASSESS ADULT ENTITLED DEPENDENCE PERSONALITY FEATURES by JAMES M. HICKS B.A., University of Colorado Colorado Springs, 2013 A thesis submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the University of Colorado Colorado Springs in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Department of Psychology 2017 ii This thesis for the Master of Arts degree by James M. Hicks has been approved for the Department of Psychology by Frederick L. Coolidge, Chair Lori James Daniel Segal Date 05/03/2017 Hicks, James M. (M.A., Psychology) An Empirical Investigation of a New Measure to Assess Adult Entitled Dependence Personality Features Thesis directed by Professor Frederick L. Coolidge ABSTRACT The present study explored the psychometric properties of a new measure of Adult Entitled Dependence (AED). AED is defined as a condition characterized by the extreme dependence of adult children on their parent(s), deemed deviant even when compared to cultural norms, seemingly excessive in light of their apparent capacity to function normally, and by high levels of dysfunction within the family (e.g., Lebowitz, Dolberger, Nortov, & Omer, 2012). The AED scale was found to have excellent internal reliability and good test-retest reliability. A principle component analysis suggested the AED construct is comprised of 6 components: alexithymia, blaming/inadequacy, default dependence, aggression, somatization, and limited socialization. AED scale sums correlated positively and very strongly with passive-aggressive personality disorder, and positively and strongly with borderline, paranoid, narcissistic, obsessive-compulsive, sadistic, antisocial, schizotypal, and depressive personality disorder scale sums and showed a moderate positive relationship with the executive dysfunction of the frontal lobes as measured by the Coolidge Axis II Inventory (CATI). The results suggest that though personality disorders, executive dysfunction, and alexithymia clearly play a major role in AED, the word entitled may have been inappropriately attributed to these highly dependent adult children, as a weak relationship was found between AED and the grandiose, flamboyant, and attention-seeking (i.e., entitled) aspects of narcissism. iv Keywords: Adult Entitled Dependence, highly dependent adult children, personality disorder, personality assessment, Coolidge Axis II Inventory, CATI v DEDICATION Dedicated to my parents: Patricia Sue, my North star, for always pointing me in the next right direction, and James Lee, for giving me the encouragement to continue the journey. vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am forever grateful to my mentors Frederick L. Coolidge, Thomas Wynn, Lori James and Daniel Segal for their considerable time, infinite inspiration, unflinching encouragement, and gentle guidance. And to the students, staff, and faculty of the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs for an unforgettable academic experience. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................1 A Brief History of Personality Theory and Personality Disorders ....3 Current DSM-5 Personality Disorders ...............................................6 Previous Personality Disorders Heralding AED ................................10 History of Highly Dependent Adult Children ....................................11 Adult Entitled Dependence in the Psychological Literature ..............16 Contributions of Psychological Comorbidity to Adult Entitled Dependence ........................................................................................22 Personality Theory Approach to Highly Dependent Adult Children..............................................................................................23 Hypothesis 1...........................................................................24 Hypothesis 2...........................................................................24 Hypothesis 3...........................................................................24 Hypothesis 4...........................................................................25 Hypothesis 5 (an exploratory hypothesis) ..............................26 Hypothesis 6 (an exploratory hypothesis) ..............................26 Hypothesis 7 (an exploratory hypothesis) ..............................26 II. METHOD ......................................................................................................27 Pilot Study Materials..............................................................27 Pilot Study Participants and Procedure ..................................28 Clinical Study Participants and Procedure .............................29 viii Clinical Study Materials ........................................................31 III. RESULTS ......................................................................................................33 Hypothesis 1...........................................................................33 Hypothesis 2...........................................................................33 Hypothesis 3...........................................................................33 Hypothesis 4...........................................................................34 Hypothesis 5...........................................................................35 Hypothesis 6...........................................................................37 Hypothesis 7...........................................................................38 IV. DISCUSSION ................................................................................................39 Limitations and Future Studies ..............................................50 Summary ................................................................................52 REFERENCES ..........................................................................................................53 APPENDIX A: A Personality Study – Pilot Study Scale ..........................................59 APPENDIX B: A Personality Pilot Study – Informed Consent ................................62 APPENDIX C: Pilot Study – Demographic Information Form.................................65 APPENDIX D: Personality Study – Debriefing Statement .......................................66 APPENDIX E: A Personality Study – Clinical Study Scale .....................................67 APPENDIX F: New Personality Scale Clinical Study – Coolidge Axis Two Inventory (CATI), Male Significant Other Form ..........................................70 APPENDIX G: New Personality Scale Clinical Study – Coolidge Axis Two Inventory (CATI) Female Significant Other Form ........................................84 APPENDIX H: Clinical Study – Demographic Information Form ...........................99 APPENDIX I: A Personality Study – Clinical Study Discriminant Validity Scale ..100 APPENDIX J: Exploratory Cluster Analyses ............................................................103 ix APPENDIX K: Exploratory Correlations Between AED Sum and Individual PD Scale Items on 9 Strongest Correlated PD Scales....................................105 APPENDIX L: Exploratory Analyses of AED Gender Differences .........................115 APPENDIX M: UCCS Institutional Review Board Approval Letter ........................119 x LIST OF TABLES TABLE 1. Correlations between AED Scale Sum and 14 CATI PD Scale Sums ..........34 2. Summary of AED Scale Principal Component Analysis with Varimax Rotation ...........................................................................................35 3. Six Components of the AED Scale, Associated Items, and Factor Loadings .........................................................................................................36 4. Multiple Regression: Standardized Beta Coefficients, p Values, and Zero-Order Correlations.................................................................................37 K1. Zero-Order Correlations between Individual Items on the CATI Passive-Aggressive Scale and AED Scale Sum.............................................106 K2. Zero-Order Correlations between Individual Items on the CATI Borderline Scale and AED Scale Sum ...........................................................107 K3. Zero-Order Correlations between Individual Items on the CATI Paranoid Scale and AED Scale Sum ..............................................................108 K4. Zero-Order Correlations between Individual Items on the CATI Narcissistic Scale and AED Scale Sum .........................................................109 K5. Zero-Order Correlations between Individual Items on the CATI Obsessive-Compulsive Scale and AED Scale Sum .......................................110 K6. Zero-Order Correlations between Individual Items on the CATI Sadistic Scale and AED Scale Sum ...............................................................111 K7. Zero-Order Correlations between Individual Items on the CATI Antisocial Scale and AED Scale Sum ...........................................................113 K8. Zero-Order Correlations between Individual Items on the CATI Schizotypal Scale and AED Scale Sum .........................................................114 K9. Zero-Order Correlations between Individual Items on the CATI Depressive Scale and AED Scale Sum ..........................................................114 xi L1. Total and Gendered Percentage of Subclinical and Clinical Psychopathology for AED, Executive Dysfunction of the Frontal
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