Quarrelsome behavior in borderline personality disorder: Influence of behavioral and affective reactivity to perceptions of others.

Abstract

We examined how the amplification of 3 within-person processes (behavioral reactivity to interpersonal perceptions, affect reactivity to interpersonal perceptions, and behavioral reactivity to a person's own affect) accounts for greater quarrelsome behavior among individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Using an event-contingent recording (ECR) methodology, individuals with BPD (N = 38) and community controls (N = 31) reported on their negative affect, quarrelsome behavior, and perceptions of the interaction partner's agreeable-quarrelsome behavior in interpersonal events during a 20-day period. Behavioral reactivity to negative affect was similar in both groups. However, behavioral reactivity and affect reactivity to interpersonal perceptions were elevated in individuals with BPD relative to community controls; specifically, individuals with BPD reported more quarrelsome behavior and more negative affect during interactions in which they perceived others as more cold-quarrelsome. Greater negative affect reactivity to perceptions of other's cold-quarrelsome behavior partly accounted for the increased quarrelsome behavior reported by individuals with BPD during these interactions. This pattern of results suggests a cycle in which the perception of cold-quarrelsome behavior in others triggers elevated negative affect and quarrelsome behavior in individuals with BPD, which subsequently led to more quarrelsome behavior from their interaction partners, which leads to perceptions of others as cold-quarrelsomeness, which begins the cycle anew.

Unraveling affective dysregulation in borderline personality disorder: A theoretical model and empirical evidence.

“…In contrast, the findings of studies that have used e-diaries (Nica & Links, 2009;Santangelo, Bohus, & Ebner-Priemer, 2014) are more conclusive than those of the laboratory studies. Compared to healthy controls, heightened intensities of emotions and physiological parameters (Ebner-Priemer et al, 2007b), heightened instability of emotions (Ebner-Priemer et al, 2007a;Trull et al, 2008), higher affective reactivity during social interactions (Sadikaj, Moskowitz, Russell, Zuroff, & Paris, 2013), and prolonged persistence of emotions have been consistently shown (Reisch, Ebner-Priemer, Tschacher, Bohus, & Linehan, 2008;Stiglmayr et al, 2005).…”

The Associations of Borderline Personality Disorder Symptoms, Five-Factor Model Personality Dimensions, and Personality Fragmentation among Depressed Inpatients

“…Since patients with BPD have more interpersonal problems, more hostile interaction styles and more negative perceptions of others [36][37][38] also in comparison to MDD patients [36], the tentative associations found between low Agreeableness and higher BPD symptoms among depressed inpatients seem logical, particularly, since at the symptomlevel, low Agreeableness was associated with BPD symptoms of inappropriate anger and impulsivity. Interestingly, low Agreeableness was also associated with affective instability, as was high Extraversion.…”

ThisGoffmanian Conundrum: Supporting the Status Quo or Forced to Manage Societal Ramifications?

“…For the purposes of this article, the focus will remain upon characteristics of BPD likely to effect organizational communication interactions such as the following: impulsive, quarrelsome, and manipulative behavior; interpersonal problems; emotional= affective instability; severe rapid mood swings; and aggression (Hollander, Swann, Coccaro, Jiang, & Smith, 2005;Mandal & Kocur, 2013;Sadikaj, Moskowitz, Russell, Zuroff, & Paris, 2013). Distel et al mention BPD is also associated with ''occupational impairment' ' (2008, p. 1219).…”