Can we detect personality dysfunction through the words and phrases we use? A team of psychologists from the University of Liverpool (UK), led by Charlotte Entwistle, believes we can.
A brief text message, an email, a casual chat with a friend, or a comment online—these and other forms of expression reveal deep patterns in our thoughts, feelings, and interactions.
When verbal patterns become more rigid or destructive, they can indicate issues with emotions, self-esteem, and relationships. They may even reveal personality disorders, the most common of which include narcissistic, antisocial, and borderline disorders.
Psychologists have long understood that certain language habits reflect a person’s internal state. For instance, individuals with gloomy personality traits often use profanity and expressions of anger and hatred.
Now, thanks to computer text analysis, researchers can quickly and extensively analyze these subtle signals, as highlighted by Science Alert.
What Did the Researchers Discover?
In several studies utilizing computer text analysis, Charlotte Entwistle’s team found compelling evidence that personality dysfunction is significantly reflected in everyday communication.
In one study involving 530 participants, published in the Journal of Personality Disorders, researchers analyzed written essays about people’s close relationships and gathered data on whether the authors had personality disorders.
Those with more pronounced disorders tended to use words and phrases that indicated a focus on themselves: “I…”, “I need…”, “I must…”, and so on. These participants used more negative, angry expressions, emphasizing their rage and irritation, while rarely using words like “we,” “love,” or “family.”
In another study, the results of which were published in the Journal of Affective Disorders Reports, researchers again analyzed written essays from over 500 individuals and examined conversations from 64 romantic couples, including women diagnosed with personality disorders.
In both written and spoken communication, participants with personality disorders used many words that expressed a wide range of .
In a subsequent study published in the journal npj Mental Health Research, the team examined the issue in the context of online communication. Researchers analyzed about 67,000 messages from 992 individuals on Reddit, all of whom identified themselves as having personality disorders.
In these participants’ messages, egocentric expressions, phrases indicating denial, sadness, and anger, as well as profanity, were prevalent. These individuals rarely mentioned other people, and their statements were often quite categorical.
The team found that people with personality disorders were significantly more likely to share thoughts and perceptions about themselves. They readily discussed their mental health, reflected on symptoms, diagnoses, and medications, and described their depressive states, suicidal thoughts, panic, suffering, and more.
Why Are These Studies Important?
Understanding language patterns goes beyond diagnosing disorders. It’s about noticing changes in language that serve as subtle cues. If a person’s messages suddenly become urgent, extreme, emotionally negative, or socially withdrawn, it may indicate that they are experiencing mental difficulties.
Recognizing patterns of hostility, extreme negativity, and emotional and cognitive rigidity in everyday situations helps to identify warning signs in a timely manner. This is especially relevant for individuals with darker personality types, such as psychopathy or narcissism.
Barely perceptible linguistic nuances unveil the emotional world of a person, their way of , and their relationships long before they openly discuss their problems.
Photo: Unsplash
