Interpersonal evaluation bias in borderline personality disorder.
BACKGROUND
The cognitive theory of personality disorders hypothesizes that the emotional dysregulation and interpersonal problems in individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) are, at least partially, caused by dysfunctional cognitive schemas. These schemas lead to biased evaluation of environmental and interpersonal stimuli.


METHODS
This study examined the interpersonal evaluations of individuals with BPD, depressive and healthy control participants with the thin-slice judgments paradigm. Participants were asked to evaluate six persons in six film clips, which showed these persons for 10s, during which these persons entered a room and took a seat. Interpersonal style of the BPD group was investigated with the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP-C) questionnaire.


RESULTS
Individuals with BPD judged the persons as being more negative and aggressive and less positive than the healthy participants, and more aggressive than the depressive individuals. In addition, individuals with BPD reported more extreme interpersonal behavior relative to the controls.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings indicate an aggressivistic evaluation bias and elevated levels of interpersonal problems in individuals with BPD as suggested in the cognitive theory.
Barnow
Sven
S
Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Heidelberg, Hauptstr. 47-51, Heidelberg 69117, Germany. sven.barnow@psychologie.uni-heidelberg.de
Stopsack
Malte
M
Grabe
Hans Joergen
HJ
Meinke
Claudia
C
Spitzer
Carsten
C
Kronmüller
Klaus
K
Sieswerda
Simkje
S
D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D011582:Psychological Theory; D012938:Social Perception; D055815:Young Adult