Semiotics of Histrionic Personality in Iranian Culture
Subject Areas : Research on Iranian social issues
Ali Mohammadzadeh
1
*
,
somayeh golizadeh
2
,
zahra Heyran Sangestani
3
,
Fatemeh Janmohammadi
4
1 - Professor, Department of Psychology, Payam Noor University, Tehran, Iran.
2 - M.A of Science in General Psychology, Payam Noor University, Tehran, Iran.
3 - M.A Student of Science in Clinical Psychology, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz Medical Sciences Branch, Tabriz, Iran.
4 - Tehran Azad Islamic University of Medical Sciences
Keywords: Histrionic Personality, Attention-Seeking, Factor Analysis, Personality Disorder, Culture.,
Abstract :
Histrionic personality, at a clinical level, is characterized by attention-seeking, extroverted, provocative behaviors, coupled with superficial emotions and heightened emotionality. At a social level, this disorder may manifest differently. The present study aimed to investigate the semiotics of histrionic personality within Iranian culture using factor analysis on a large sample of students. This research adopted a correlational design. The study population consisted of students from universities in Tabriz. A sample of 716 students was selected and assessed. Participants completed the Histrionic Personality Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis. The results of the principal component analysis yielded a two-factor solution, labeled as "attention-seeking" and "exaggeration/independence." These findings can be interpreted in light of cultural differences between Iranian and American societies in the manifestation of histrionic personality traits.
Keywords: Histrionic Personality, Attention-Seeking, Factor Analysis, Personality Disorder, Culture
Extended Abstract
Introduction
Personality traits are among the most significant predictors of current
and future human behavior, whether normative or exploitative (Hughes et al., 2023; Joshi et al., 2024). One such trait, histrionic personality, is a determinant of the quality of interpersonal interactions at both clinical and non-clinical levels. Clinically, histrionic personality is defined by the American Psychiatric Association as involving attention-seeking, extroverted, provocative behaviors, superficial emotions, and emotional intensity (American Psychiatric Association, 2022, p. 757). These traits typically emerge in early adulthood (Kramer, 2019, p. 325). Limited epidemiological data from general population studies suggest that the prevalence of histrionic personality disorder ranges from 2% to 3% (Knox & Nissan, 2023, p. 100). On one hand, beyond its psychological impact at the individual level, histrionic personality disorder is sociologically linked to various social deviations, including tendencies toward extramarital sexual behavior, divorce, excessive use of heavy makeup and cosmetic surgeries, membership in delinquent groups, and engagement in high-risk behaviors such as substance abuse and reckless driving. On the other hand, cultural factors can influence the expression and characteristics of personality traits (see Gunay-Oge et al., 2023). Ferguson and Negy (2014) explored the primary semiotics of histrionic personality in American culture, concluding that sexual seductiveness and attention-seeking are its two prominent features. This suggests that, despite the recognition of various symptoms, sexual seductiveness and attention-seeking are central factors in diagnosing histrionic personality disorder within American culture. In summary, while histrionic personality disorder is associated with numerous social harms and deviations, and cultural elements play a critical role in shaping personality traits, no study to date has examined the semiotics of histrionic personality in Iranian culture. Therefore, this research aims to identify the primary patterns of histrionic personality within the Iranian cultural context.
Methods
This study employed a correlational design. The target population consisted of male and female students from Payame Noor University and Islamic Azad University in Tabriz, enrolled in bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs during the 2022-2023 academic year. From this population, a sample of 770 participants was selected using stratified random sampling based on Morgan and Cochran’s criteria and assessed. Data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis.
The research instrument was Histrionic Personality Questionnaire: developed by Ferguson and Negy (2014, p. 215), this questionnaire comprises 36 items scored on a four-point Likert scale. Ferguson and Negy (2014, p. 215) reported a test-retest reliability of 0.91 and concurrent validity of 0.80 through correlation with the histrionic subscale of the MMPI-2. Its validity in the Iranian context was established by calculating correlations with the Borderline and Narcissistic Personality Questionnaires (which are significantly related to histrionic personality), ranging from 0.73 to 0.78 (see Pazoki & Abolmaali Alhosseini, 2023). In the present study, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the entire scale was calculated as 0.82.
Findings
Based on demographic data, the sample included 445 women and 271 men (totaling 716 participants), making them comparable. To conduct the factor analysis of histrionic personality semiotics in Iranian culture, the assumptions of factor analysis were first examined. These included the normal distribution of scores, linearity, and a sufficient number of correlations above 0.3, all of which were verified to ensure factorability. Subsequently, the suitability of the data for factor analysis was assessed using the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) test and Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity. The KMO value (KMO = 0.535) indicated adequate sampling, and Bartlett’s Test (χ² = 1068.04, p < 0.001) was significant, suggesting that the correlation matrix of the data was not zero, thus justifying factor extraction. To determine the factor structure, an exploratory approach (to uncover new response patterns in Iranian culture) was employed, using principal component analysis with Promax rotation. Items were included in a factor if they had a factor loading of 0.3 or higher. In total, 15 factors had eigenvalues greater than 1, collectively explaining 64.66% of the observed variance.
A scree plot of eigenvalues and the pattern of factor loadings suggested a two-factor solution, which together accounted for 22.34% of the observed variance in the histrionic personality scale. Consequently, the results identified "attention-seeking" and "exaggeration/independence" as the primary indicators of histrionic personality in Iranian culture. Additionally, a negative correlation was found between age and histrionic personality scores, indicating that these scores decrease with increasing age. Descriptive statistics of histrionic personality scores, based on means and standard deviations, were examined among male and female participants, revealing higher histrionic scores among women compared to men.
Discussion and Conclusion
The findings of this study indicate that "attention-seeking" and "exaggeration/independence" are the primary indicators of histrionic personality in Iranian culture. Prior to this study, only one investigation had explored the semiotics of histrionic personality in American culture. The two-factor structure identified here aligns with Ferguson and Negy’s (2014) findings in the American context, where the first factor was seductiveness and the second was attention-seeking, reinforcing the two-dimensional nature of histrionic personality. However, differences exist in the prioritization of identified factors between Iranian and American cultures. In American culture, sexual seductiveness is the primary indicator, followed by attention-seeking, whereas in Iranian culture, attention-seeking takes precedence, with exaggeration alongside independence emerging as a dominant trait. These differences can be explained through the lens of culture’s role in the emergence of psychological disorders (Bhugra et al., 2021, p. 1). Cultural psychiatry is a concept used to describe how culture influences individuals’ well-being, functioning, expression of distress, and approaches to explanation and treatment. The partial alignment of these findings with the American Psychiatric Association’s (2022) criteria also suggests a relative consistency in histrionic personality disorder symptoms, despite cultural variations.
Additionally, the study found a negative relationship between histrionic personality scores and age, consistent with research indicating that histrionic personality disorder diminishes with age (Boland et al., 2021, Vol. 2, p. 424). It appears that as affected individuals age, their experiential capacity for emotional regulation improves, potentially reducing the interpersonal challenges associated with this disorder. Given culture’s role in the emergence of personality disorders, there is a recognized need to explore the individual and social pathological correlates of histrionic personality in Iranian society. Accordingly, it is recommended that future research investigate these psychopathological variables within the Iranian context. A limitation of this study, which may have influenced the results, was the lack of access to a clinical sample of individuals diagnosed with histrionic personality disorder. Consequently, the hypotheses could not be tested in a clinical setting. It is thus suggested that future studies enhance the present findings by testing hypotheses at a clinical level.
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Histrionic personality is defined at the clinical level with attention-seeking, extroverted, irritable behaviors, along with superficial emotions and emotionality. At the social level, this disorder may have different manifestations. The purpose of the present research was to investigate the symtomology of histrionic personality in Iranian culture using the factor analysis method in a large sample of students. This research is a correlational disign. The statistical population of the present study was the students of the universities of Tabriz city. A sample of 716 students was selected and tested. The participants answered the Histrionic Personality Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis method. Based on the results, two factors were extracted in the principal component analysis of the solution, and they were named the attention-seeking and exaggeration/non-dependence factors, respectively. The findings can be explained in line with the cultural differences of Iranian and American society in the manifestation of histrionic personality symptoms.
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