A Preliminary Examination of the Role of Emotion Differentiation in the Relationship Between Borderline Personality and Urges for Maladaptive Behaviors

Abstract

Background and Objectives Impulsive, maladaptive, and potentially self-damaging behaviors are a hallmark feature of borderline personality (BP) pathology. Difficulties with emotion regulation have been implicated in both BP pathology and maladaptive behaviors. One facet of emotion regulation that may be particularly important in the relation between BP pathology and urges for maladaptive behaviors is emotion differentiation. Methods Over one day, 84 participants high (n = 34) and low (n = 50) in BP pathology responded to questions regarding state emotions and urges to engage in maladaptive behaviors using handheld computers, in addition to a measure of emotion-related difficulties controlling impulsive behaviors. Results Results revealed that individuals high in BP pathology reported greater emotion-related impulsivity as well as daily urges to engage in maladaptive behaviors. However, the association between BP group and both baseline emotion-related impulsivity and daily urges for maladaptive behaviors was strongest among individuals who had low levels of positive emotion differentiation. Conversely, negative emotion differentiation did not significantly moderate the relationships between BP group and either emotion-related difficulties controlling impulsive behaviors or state urges for maladaptive behaviors. Limitations Limitations to the present study include the reliance upon an analogue sample and the relatively brief monitoring period. Conclusions Despite limitations, these results suggest that, among individuals with high BP pathology, the ability to differentiate between positive emotions may be a particularly important target in the reduction of maladaptive behaviors.

Undifferentiated negative affect and impulsivity in borderline personality and depressive disorders: A momentary perspective.

“…Dixon-Gordon and colleagues (2014) found that one's inability to differentiate positive, but not negative emotions was predictive of higher urges to engage in maladaptive behaviors. It is possible, however, that individuals can regulate urges in adaptive ways that do not lead to the maladaptive behavior.…”

Explicating the role of emotion dysregulation in risky behaviors: a review and synthesis of the literature with directions for future research and clinical practice

“…In one such study, KL Dixon-Gordon, et al [38**] utilized ecological momentary assessment to identify the roles of negative and positive emotion differentiation (i.e., the ability to distinguish between distinct emotions of similar valence) in the relation between borderline personality pathology and urges for risky behaviors. Participants high and low in borderline personality pathology responded to questions regarding emotions and impulses to engage in risky behaviors eight times over one day using handheld computers.…”

The temporal course and clinical correlates of subjective impulsivity in bipolar disorder as revealed through ecological momentary assessment

“…To our knowledge, there have been no EMA studies involving momentary subjective self-ratings of impulsivity in bipolar disorder. One study in borderline personality disorder employing EMA found greater momentary impulsivity than in depressive disorder (Tomko et al, 2014) and another found that urges for action were associated with bouts of later affective instability (Dixon-Gordon et al, 2014). …”