Emotional reactivity to social rejection versus a frustration induction among persons with borderline personality features.

This laboratory study examined the emotional reactivity of persons with heightened borderline personality (BP) features to a social rejection stressor. Participants with high levels of BP features (n = 43) and controls with low levels of BP features (n = 67) were randomly assigned to a condition involving negative evaluation and social rejection based on personal characteristics, or to a condition involving a frustrating arithmetic task and negative evaluation based on performance. Hypotheses were that the high-BP individuals would demonstrate greater increases in negative emotions, shame, and anger in response to the social rejection/negative evaluation stressor, compared with the frustrating arithmetic task.

Emotional reactivity to social rejection and negative evaluation among persons with borderline personality features.

The present study examined the emotional reactivity of persons with heightened borderline personality (BP) features to social rejection and negative evaluation in the laboratory. Individuals with high levels of BP features (n = 30) and controls with low levels of BP features (n = 44) were randomly assigned to a condition involving negative evaluation based on writing (negative evaluation/academic), or a condition involving negative evaluation based on personal characteristics as well as social rejection (negative evaluation/social rejection). Hypothesis 1 was that high-BP individuals, but not low-BP controls, would show greater emotional reactivity to the negative evaluation/social rejection stressor, compared with the negative evaluation/academic (writing) stressor.

Borderline personality features moderate the effect of a fear induction on impulsivity.

This study examined the effects of laboratory-induced fear on impulsivity among participants who were high (n = 28) or low (n = 44) in borderline personality (BP) features. Participants were randomly assigned to complete a laboratory measure of impulsivity (passive avoidance learning task) following either a neutral mood induction or a fear induction. BP features moderated the association of the emotion condition (fear vs.