Rejection Sensitivity Is a Mediator Between Borderline Personality Disorder Features and Facial Trust Appraisal

Abstract

Individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) fear abandonment and exhibit instability in their close relationships. These interpersonal difficulties may be influenced by the propensity to interpret neutral social stimuli (e.g., nonemotional faces) as untrustworthy. This study evaluated the hypothesis that BPD features are associated with attributions of untrustworthiness to neutral faces. Additionally, the authors hypothesized that the trait of rejection sensitivity (RS) is also associated with BPD features and mediates the relationship between BPD features and untrustworthy facial trait appraisal. An undergraduate, nonclinical sample (N = 95) was assessed for BPD features, RS, and trust appraisal of neutral faces. Higher BPD features were associated with lower ratings of trustworthiness of the faces and higher scores on RS. Furthermore, as hypothesized, the association between BPD features and trust appraisal was mediated by RS. Results are discussed in the context of a proposed model of the social cognitive mechanisms of interpersonal hypersensitivity in BPD.

Facial trust appraisal negatively biased in borderline personality disorder

“…Individuals with BPD are highly sensitive to social rejection (Ayduk et al, 2008; Butler et al, 2002; Miano et al, 2012; Staebler et al, 2011). Rejection sensitivity is theorized to be an adaptation that minimizes their experience of emotional pain and dysphoria by helping individuals with BPD avoid the experience of rejection (Ayduk et al, 2008), the reaction to which is more intense and prolonged relative to healthy controls (Stanley and Wilson, 2006; Stiglmayr et al, 2005).…”

Social Impairment and Mental Health

“…Depression and rejection sensitivity partially mediates the relationship for neutral stimuli [58]. This findings contrast with the poor performance of BPD patients on others theory of mind tasks, such as "Faux pas" (a story set were patients must to discriminate social mistakes) [59], suggesting a poor judgement performance in social tasks.…”

“…This findings contrast with the poor performance of BPD patients on others theory of mind tasks, such as "Faux pas" (a story set were patients must to discriminate social mistakes) [59], suggesting a poor judgement performance in social tasks. In fact, individuals with BPD exhibit a negative bias to appraise trustworthiness in facial stimuli and ambiguous trust decisions are associated with longer response times (but this bias is not present when evaluating emotions like fear) [58]. BPD patients show different level of increased activity in the amygdala when viewing emotional faces (Ekman faces) even in neutral faces.…”

Anger and aggression in borderline personality disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder – does stress matter?

“…This tendency is probably related to self-destructive behavior (e.g., self-injurious behavior, substance abuse), which is highly prevalent in BPD patients (69–90%; [3, 71, 72]). Research has demonstrated that individuals with BPD are highly sensitive to social rejection [73, 74]. Therefore, even if there is an external origin of annoyance, the tendency to direct their anger mainly inwardly or against themselves may be driven by the fear of abandonment or rejection, if they were to direct their aggression towards another person.…”