Passive–aggressive behavior

This article is about the personality disorder. For The Radio Dept. album, see Passive Aggressive: Singles 2002–2010.

Passive–aggressive personality disorder
Classification and external resources
ICD-10	F60.8
ICD-9	301.84

Passive–aggressive behavior, a personality trait, is passive, sometimes obstructionist resistance to following through with expectations in interpersonal or occupational situations. It is a personality trait marked by a pervasive pattern of negative attitudes and passive, usually disavowed, resistance in interpersonal or occupational situations.

It can manifest itself as learned helplessness, procrastination, stubbornness, resentment, sullenness, or deliberate/repeated failure to accomplish requested tasks for which one is (often explicitly) responsible.^[1]

Signs and symptoms

The book Living with the Passive–Aggressive Man lists 11 responses that may help identify passive–aggressive behavior:^[1]

• Ambiguity or speaking cryptically: a means of creating a feeling of insecurity in others or of disguising one's own insecurities.
• Chronically being late and forgetting things: another way to exert control or to punish.
• Fear of competition
• Fear of dependency
• Fear of intimacy as a means to act out anger: The passive–aggressive often cannot trust. Because of this, they guard themselves against becoming intimately attached to someone.
• Making chaotic situations
• Making excuses for non-performance in work teams
• Obstructionism
• Procrastination
• Sulking
• Victimization response: instead of recognizing one's own weaknesses, tendency to blame others for own failures.

A passive–aggressive person may not display all of these behaviors, and may have other^{[clarification needed]} non-passive–aggressive traits.

Diagnostic criteria (DSM-IV Appendix B) and personality disorder

Personality disorders
Cluster A (odd)
Paranoid · Schizoid Schizotypal
Cluster B (dramatic)
Antisocial · Borderline Histrionic · Narcissistic
Cluster C (anxious)
Avoidant · Dependent Obsessive-compulsive
Not specified
Depressive Passive–aggressive Sadistic · Self-defeating
v · personality disorder was listed as an Axis II personality disorder in the DSM-III-R, but was moved in the DSM-IV to Appendix B ("Criteria Sets and Axes Provided for Further Study") because of controversy and the need for further research on how to also categorize the behaviors in a future edition. As an alternative, the diagnosis personality disorder not otherwise specified may be used instead. The DSM-IV Appendix B definition is as follows:[2] A pervasive pattern of negativistic attitudes and passive resistance to demands for adequate performance, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by four (or more) of the following: passively resists fulfilling routine social and occupational tasks complains of being misunderstood and unappreciated by others is sullen and argumentative unreasonably criticizes and scorns authority expresses envy and resentment toward those apparently more fortunate voices exaggerated and persistent complaints of personal misfortune alternates between hostile defiance and contrition Does not occur exclusively during major depressive episodes and is not better accounted for by dysthymic disorder. Diagnostic criteria (ICD-10) The World Health Organization's ICD-10 lists passive–aggressive personality disorder under (F60.8) Other specific personality disorders. It is a requirement of ICD-10 that a diagnosis of any specific personality disorder also satisfy a set of general personality disorder criteria. Millon's subtypes Theodore Millon identified four subtypes of negativist (passive–aggressive).[3][4] Any individual negativist may exhibit none or one of the following: circuitous negativist – including dependent features abrasive negativist – including sadistic features discontented negativist – including depressive features vacillating negativist – including borderline features Causes Passive–aggressive disorder may stem from a specific childhood stimulus[5] (e.g., alcohol/drug addicted parents) in an environment where it was not safe to express frustration or anger. Families in which the honest expression of feelings is forbidden tend to teach children to repress and deny their feelings and to use other channels to express their frustration. Children who sugarcoat their hostility may fail to ever grow beyond such behavior. Never developing better coping strategies or skills for self-expression, they can become adults who, beneath a seductive veneer, harbor vindictive intent.[6] Martin Kantor suggests three areas that contribute to passive–aggressive anger in individuals: conflicts about dependency, control, and competition.[7] Treatment Kantor suggests a treatment approach using psychodynamic, supportive, cognitive, behavioral and interpersonal therapeutic methods. These methods apply to both the passive aggressive person and their target victim.[8] History Passive aggressive behavior was first defined clinically by Colonel William Menninger during World War II in the context of men's reaction to military compliance.[9] But noncompliance is not indicative of true passive–aggressive behavior, which is the manifestation of emotions that have been repressed based on a self-imposed need for acceptance. In the first version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, DSM-I, in 1952, the passive–aggressive was defined in a narrow way, grouped together with the passive-dependent. See also Counterproductive work behavior Gossip Malicious compliance Mind games Passivity Psychological manipulation Relational aggression Social undermining Oppositional defiant disorder Passive-aggressive notes References ^ a b Wetzler, Scott (1992). Living with the passive–aggressive man. Simon & Schuster. pp. 35–37. http://books.google.com/books?id=JIyyid3xRyEC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Living+with+the+Passive-Aggressive+Man&cd=1#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved April 27, 2010.  ^ Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth edition Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) American Psychiatric Association (2000) ^ Millon, Theodore, Personality Disorders in Modern Life, 2004 ^ Millon, Theodore – Personality Subtypes ^ Johnson JG, Cohen P, Brown J, Smailes EM, Bernstein DP (July 1999). "Childhood maltreatment increases risk for personality disorders during early adulthood". Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 56 (7): 600–606. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.56.7.600. PMID 10401504.  ^ Murphy, Tim and Hoff Oberlin, Loriann (2005). Overcoming passive aggression: how to stop hidden anger from spoiling your relationships, career and happiness. New York: Marlowe & Company. p. 48. ISBN 1-56924-361-1. http://books.google.com/books?id=rT9902F91j4C&printsec=frontcover&dq=Overcoming+passive+aggression:+how+to+stop+hidden+anger+from+spoiling+your+relationships,+career+and+happiness&cd=1#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved April 27, 2010.  ^ Kantor, Martin (2002). Passive–aggression: a guide for the therapist, the patient and the victim. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger Publishers. pp. xvi–xvii. ISBN 0-275-97422-7. http://books.google.com/books?id=ejBShSEt99kC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Passive-aggression:+a+guide+for+the+therapist,+the+patient+and+the+victim&cd=1#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved April 27, 2010.  ^ Kantor, Martin (2002). Passive–aggression: a guide for the therapist, the patient and the victim. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger Publishers. p. 115. ISBN 0-275-97422-7. http://books.google.com/books?id=ejBShSEt99kC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Passive-aggression:+a+guide+for+the+therapist,+the+patient+and+the+victim&cd=1#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved April 27, 2010.  ^ Wetzler, Scott (1992). Living with the passive–aggressive man. Simon & Schuster. pp. 14–15. http://books.google.com/books?id=JIyyid3xRyEC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Living+with+the+Passive-Aggressive+Man&cd=1#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved April 27, 2010.  External links Passive Aggressive Behavior, a Form of Covert Abuse (about.com) Passive–Aggressive Behavior (outofthefog.net) Passive Aggression Abuses Your Rights (passiveaggressivehusband.com) Wikimedia Foundation. 2010. Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат? Negativicutes Negator Look at other dictionaries: Passive-aggressive behavior — refers to passive, sometimes resistance to following authoritative instructions in interpersonal or occupational situations. It can manifest itself as learned helplessness, procrastination, stubbornness, resentment, , or deliberate/repeated… …   Wikipedia passive-aggressive — adj being, marked by, or displaying behavior characterized by expression of negative feelings, resentment, and aggression in an unassertive way (as through procrastination, stubbornness, and unwillingness to communicate) <a passive aggressive… …   Medical dictionary passive-aggressive — [pas′ivə gres′iv] adj. Psychol. designating or of a personality, a person, or behavior characterized by disguised resistance to the demands or expectations of others, that is expressed in hindering progress, as by procrastination, stubbornness,… …   Universalium passive-aggressive — [pas′ivə gres′iv] adj. Psychol. designating or of a personality, a person, or behavior characterized by disguised resistance to the demands or expectations of others, that is expressed in hindering progress, as by procrastination, stubbornness,… …   English World dictionary passive-aggressive — ¦ ̷ ̷  ̷ ̷  ̷ ̷ ¦ ̷ ̷  ̷ ̷ adjective ( s) : being, marked by, or displaying behavior characterized by the expression of negative feelings, resentment, and aggression in an unassertive passive way (as through procrastination, stubbornness, and… …   Useful english dictionary passive-aggressive — adjective Date: 1946 being, marked by, or displaying behavior characterized by the expression of negative feelings, resentment, and aggression in an unassertive passive way (as through procrastination and stubbornness) • passive aggressive noun …   New Collegiate Dictionary passive-aggressive personality — /pas iv euh gres iv/, Psychiatry. a personality disorder characterized by aggressive behavior expressed in passive ways, as procrastination, stubbornness, or pouting. * * * …   Universalium passive-aggressive personality — /pas iv euh gres iv/, Psychiatry. a personality disorder characterized by aggressive behavior expressed in passive ways, as procrastination, stubbornness, or pouting …   Useful english dictionary passive — (adj.) late 14c., in grammatical sense (opposed to active), from L. passivus capable of feeling or suffering, from pass , pp. stem of pati to suffer (see PASSION (Cf. passion)). Meaning not active is first recorded late 15c. Passive resistance… …   Etymology dictionary Behavior analysis of child development — Child development in behavior analytic theory has origins in John B. Watson s behaviorism.[1] Watson wrote extensively on child development and conducted research (see Little Albert experiment). Watson was instrumental in the modification of… …   Wikipedia 18+ © Academic, 2000-2024 Contact us: Technical Support, Advertising Dictionaries export, created on PHP, Joomla, Drupal, WordPress, MODx. Mark and share Search through all dictionaries Translate… Search Internet Share the article and excerpts Direct link … Do a right-click on the link above and select “Copy Link”