Which statement best describes Cluster C personality disorders?

• A. They are dramatic or erratic.
• B. They are odd or eccentric.
• C. They are not associated with anxiety.
• D. They are anxious or fearful in nature.

Answer: (D)

The key idea is how personality disorders are grouped by shared emotional patterns. Cluster C is defined by anxious or fearful styles of thinking and behaving. Disorders in this cluster—avoidant, dependent, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorders—show pervasive worry, insecurity, or fear that shapes how people relate to others and handle daily life. For example, avoidance of social situations due to fear of rejection, a strong need for reassurance and fear of being abandoned, or a preoccupation with order and perfection to feel in control. That anxious or fearful core is what makes this cluster distinct.

Describing a cluster as dramatic or erratic fits Cluster B, while labeling one as odd or eccentric fits Cluster A. Saying they’re not associated with anxiety contradicts the defining feature of Cluster C.