Abstract:
Histrionic Personality Disorder (HPD) is defined by a persistent pattern of excessive attention-seeking, superficial emotional expressiveness, and dramatized behaviors. This article aims to summarize the main characteristic features of the disorder, relating them to neurobiological substrates and their behavioral implications. Studies suggest that alterations in the amygdala, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and dopaminergic reward systems modulate emotional impulsivity and the need for external validation. Understanding these mechanisms is fundamental to designing clinical and social intervention strategies.
Keywords: histrionic personality disorder; emotional regulation; attention; neuropsychology; dramatization.
1. Introduction :
Histrionic personalities have always aroused clinical and social interest due to their theatricality and intense search for recognition. In the contemporary psychiatric classification (DSM-5), HPD belongs to Cluster B of personality disorders, alongside borderline, antisocial, and narcissistic personality disorders. The central issue that characterizes it is the continuous need for attention and approval, sustained by unstable and superficial emotionality.
2. Characteristic traits of HPD
1. Incessant attention-seeking
• The individual needs to occupy the center of social interaction.
• Any situation of anonymity can generate anxiety or dramatized reactions.
2. Intense and superficial emotions
• Affectivity is unstable, changing rapidly depending on the context.
• Emotional expressions are amplified but not consistent.
3. Seductive and provocative behavior
• Physical appearance or insinuating attitudes are used as tools of validation.
• Seduction can occur in inappropriate social contexts, including professional ones.
4. Impressionistic and poorly detailed speech
• Narratives charged with emotion, but lacking in objective content.
• Use of language that aims more to persuade or impress than to inform.
5. Suggestibility
• High permeability to external influences.
• The individual adapts opinions and postures to please or maintain attention.
6. Difficulty dealing with frustration
• Irritability or sadness when faced with loss of protagonism.
• Disproportionate reactions to rejection or inattention.
7. Self-centeredness and theatricality
• Tendency to exaggerate personal experiences.
• Construction of narratives that reinforce protagonism.
8. Overvaluation of aesthetics
• Strong investment in appearance and style.
• Self-image dependent on external validation.
3. Neurobiology of the Disorder
Research in personality neuroscience suggests correlations between HPD and brain function patterns:
• Amygdala: emotional hyperreactivity, especially in social contexts.
• Ventromedial prefrontal cortex: reduced inhibitory modulation of emotional impulses, favoring dramatization.
• Dopaminergic reward system: reinforcement of the search for social stimuli and validation, making the attention of others a “primary rewarder.”
This triad explains emotional oscillation, the need for protagonism, and vulnerability to rejection.
4. Discussion:
HPD should not be interpreted simply as behavioral exaggeration, but as an expression of an imbalance between reward circuits and emotional regulation. Theatricality and affective superficiality are poorly calibrated adaptive responses, derived from a compulsive search for social approval.
5. Conclusion:
The most common traits of Histrionic Personality Disorder reflect the integration of neurobiological vulnerability and social learning. Amygdala hyperreactivity, combined with low prefrontal modulation, supports the need for continuous validation and emotional dramatization. Early identification of these traits can guide psychotherapeutic interventions aimed at strengthening affective regulation and reducing dependence on external attention.
References:
AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION. DSM-5: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Porto Alegre: Artmed, 2014.
RODRIGUES, Fabiano de Abreu Agrela. Neurobiology and Foundations of Intelligence DWRI. 2023.
GORIOUNOVA, N.A.; MANSVELDER, H.D. Genes, cells and brain areas of intelligence. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, v. 13, p. 44, 2019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2019.00044.
