A Contemporary Integrative Interpersonal Theory Formulation of Self and Social Pathology

This chapter describes the value of using Contemporary Integrative Interpersonal Theory (CIIT) to understand the self and social impairments that define personality disorders as a group. CIIT’s major tenets are summarized, with a particular emphasis on elaborating how the self and self-functioning are an integral part of interpersonal experience and expression. A generic definition of adaptive interpersonal functioning is provided along with a demonstration of how CIIT can accommodate specific constructs and diagnoses using borderline personality disorder and narcissism as examples.