Differences between personality functioning, normal-range traits, and maladaptive traits: Replication in a longitudinal Norwegian sample.

The alternative model of personality disorders has gained widespread recognition, yet the degree of conceptual and empirical overlap among personality functioning, maladaptive traits, and normal-range personality traits-and its implications for clinical assessment-remains debated. Recent studies have begun to examine these associations in a more systematic manner; however, longitudinal evidence is still limited, and the generalizability of existing findings remains insufficiently tested. In this preregistered study, we conducted a conceptual replication of 11 preregistered hypotheses originally examined in a recent longitudinal study of Chinese offenders. Using a Norwegian community sample, we investigated associations and distinctions among personality functioning, normal-range traits, and maladaptive traits across 4 waves of data collected over 6 months (N = 1,418). Overall, we largely replicated the pattern of findings reported in the original study. Results revealed systematic differences in the distributions and longitudinal properties of personality functioning and personality traits. Across time, maladaptive traits were jointly predicted by impairments in personality functioning and normal-range personality traits, indicating both shared and unique contributions. Taken together, these findings provide further longitudinal support for both similarities and distinctions between personality functioning and trait dimensions within the alternative model of personality disorders framework. By extending prior work to a different population and methodological context, this replication study strengthens the evidence for the robustness and generalizability of existing conclusions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).