A Peer Trade-off Model of Personality Disorder Traits During Adolescence

This Viewpoint paper argues for a peer trade-off model of personality disorder (PD) traits during adolescence that allows for both positive (e.g., popularity, peer acceptance) and negative (e.g., peer rejection, peer victimization, peer exclusion) peer outcomes. The need for new interpersonal (dsy)function models of PD traits during adolescence is urgent because most research has focused on internalizing and externalizing psychopathology, as well as adults, who differ from adolescents in the value that they place on different social behaviors. Available clinical treatments for PD traits have also been based on findings with adults. Thus, new models are not only needed but would have profound etiological, diagnostic, and treatment implications. We describe preliminary findings that support our proposed peer trade-off model. In conclusion, we describe promising new directions to further evaluate the model and advance knowledge about PD traits during adolescence.