title: Too upset to think: the interplay of borderline personality features, negative emotions, and social problem solving in the laboratory.
abstract: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is associated with poor social problem solving and problems with emotion regulation. In this study, the social problem-solving performance of undergraduates with high (n = 26), mid (n = 32), or low (n = 29) levels of BPD features was assessed with the Social Problem-Solving Inventory-Revised and using the means-ends problem-solving procedure before and after a social rejection stressor. The high-BP group, but not the low-BP group, showed a significant reduction in relevant solutions to social problems and more inappropriate solutions following the negative emotion induction. Increases in self-reported negative emotions during the emotion induction mediated the relationship between BP features and reductions in social problem-solving performance. In addition, the high-BP group demonstrated trait deficits in social problem solving on the Social Problem-Solving Inventory-Revised. These findings suggest that future research must examine social problem solving under differing emotional conditions, and that clinical interventions to improve social problem solving among persons with BP features should focus on responses to emotional contexts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. kdixongo@sfu.ca
authors.forename: Katherine L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Dixon-Gordon
authors.forename: Alexander L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Chapman
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lovasz
authors.forename: Kris
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Walters
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001076:Aptitude; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011340:Problem Solving; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012929:Psychological Distance; D011581:Psychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012044:Regression Analysis; D057566:Self Report; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013850:Thinking; D055815:Young Adult