The DSM-5 organizes personality clusters by which two dimensions?

• A. Biological, environmental
• B. Social, cultural
• C. Intrapsychic, interpersonal
• D. Cognitive, behavioral

Answer: (C)

The main idea is that personality disorder clusters are described in terms how a person’s internal world and their relationships with others interact. Inside the DSM-5, the patterns labeled as clusters capture differences in what a person experiences privately (inner thoughts, feelings, identity, defenses) and in how they relate to other people (trust, intimacy, cooperation, aggression). So, the two dimensions are intrapsychic functioning and interpersonal functioning.

This framing helps explain why different clusters show distinct profiles: some patterns hinge more on internal experiences, while others show more pronounced difficulties in relating to others. The other options don’t reflect how the DSM-5 groups these disorders, since biology vs environment, or social/cultural factors, or purely cognitive/behavioral distinctions aren’t the organizing scheme for the clusters.