title: Fluid intelligence and empathy in association with personality  disorder trait-scores: exploring the link.
abstract: There is some evidence that fluid intelligence as well as empathy may be significantly related to personality disorders (PDs). To our knowledge, no study has addressed those issues simultaneously in all 10 DSM PDs in a sample of the general population. We analysed data from 196 participants aged 20–41 from the Epidemiology Survey of the Zurich Programme for Sustainable Development of Mental Health Services (ZInEP), a comprehensive psychiatric survey in the general population of Zurich, Switzerland. We assessed the digit symbol-coding test (DSCT), the “reading the mind in the eyes” test (RMET) and the interpersonal reactivity index (IRI). Both measures of cognitive empathy (i.e. RMET and IRI perspective taking) were not related to any PD trait-score. The total PD trait-score was significantly associated with low scores on DSCT and IRI empathic concern and high scores on IRI personal distress, which indicates a dose–response relationship in those measures. DSCT was particularly related to borderline PD, IRI empathic concern to schizoid and narcissistic PDs, and IRI personal distress to avoidant PD. The proportion of variance explained in the total PD trait-score accounted for by DSCT, IRI empathic concern and IRI personal distress was 2.6, 2.3 and 13.3 %, respectively. Symptomatology and severity of PDs are related to low fluid intelligence and reduced emotional empathy as characterized by low empathic concern and high personal distress towards emotional expressions of others. Further research is needed that examines the association between cognitive empathy and personality pathology as well as potential clinical applications.
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Hengartner
authors.forename: Vladeta
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ajdacic-Gross
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rodgers
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Helene
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Haker
authors.forename: Wulf
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Rössler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D016014:Linear Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
references.citation: Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2004 Apr;61(4):354-60
references.pmid: 15066893
references.citation: Psychother Psychosom Med Psychol. 2004 May;54(5):214-23
references.pmid: 15106055
references.citation: Br J Psychiatry. 1999 Feb;174:95-100
references.pmid: 10211161
references.citation: J Psychiatr Res. 2013 Sep;47(9):1180-6
references.pmid: 23743134
references.citation: Psychol Med. 1998 Sep;28(5):1179-88
references.pmid: 9794025
references.citation: Behav Brain Sci. 2002 Feb;25(1):1-20; discussion 20-71
references.pmid: 12625087
references.citation: Behav Brain Sci. 2007 Apr;30(2):135-54; discussion 154-87
references.pmid: 17655784
references.citation: J Pers Soc Psychol. 2003 May;84(5):1054-68
references.pmid: 12757148
references.citation: Br J Psychiatry. 1999 Jun;174:530-8
references.pmid: 10616632
references.citation: Cogn Neuropsychiatry. 2009 Mar;14(2):127-43
references.pmid: 19370436
references.citation: J Clin Psychol. 2009 Sep;65(9):942-54
references.pmid: 19437504
references.citation: Annu Rev Psychol. 2007;58:227-57
references.pmid: 16903806
references.citation: J Pers Disord. 2009 Oct;23(5):535-40
references.pmid: 19817633
references.citation: Neuropsychiatr. 2012;26(2):65-71
references.pmid: 22836550
references.citation: Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2014 Feb;49(2):317-25
references.pmid: 23674198
references.citation: Z Psychosom Med Psychother. 2007;53(2):111-28
references.pmid: 17688782
references.citation: Psychiatry Res. 2011 May 15;187(1-2):241-7
references.pmid: 21055831
references.citation: Annu Rev Psychol. 2008;59:279-300
references.pmid: 17550343
references.citation: J Pers Disord. 2004 Aug;18(4):405-19
references.pmid: 15342327
references.citation: Curr Biol. 2007 Aug 21;17(16):R714-23
references.pmid: 17714665
references.citation: Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2004 Dec;110(6):471-5
references.pmid: 15521833
references.citation: Br J Psychiatry. 2005 Nov;187:407-15
references.pmid: 16260814
references.citation: Psychol Med. 2006 Aug;36(8):1053-64
references.pmid: 16854246
references.citation: Epidemiology. 2010 Jan;21(1):70-7
references.pmid: 19907333
references.citation: Conscious Cogn. 2005 Dec;14(4):698-718
references.pmid: 16157488
references.citation: Neuroimage. 2011 Jul 15;57(2):539-48
references.pmid: 21586330
references.citation: Arch Clin Neuropsychol. 2004 Sep;19(6):759-67
references.pmid: 15288329
references.citation: Annu Rev Clin Psychol. 2009;5:197-220
references.pmid: 19046124
references.citation: Neuropsychiatr. 2010;24(3):151-60
references.pmid: 20926053
references.citation: Schizophr Res. 2002 Mar 1;54(1-2):157-67
references.pmid: 11853990
references.citation: J Pers Disord. 2013 Feb;27(1):67-84
references.pmid: 23342958
references.citation: Epidemiol Psichiatr Soc. 2005 Apr-Jun;14(2):68-76
references.pmid: 16001703
references.citation: J Nerv Ment Dis. 2010 May;198(5):385-8
references.pmid: 20458204
references.citation: J Nerv Ment Dis. 2009 Nov;197(11):801-7
references.pmid: 19996717
references.citation: J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2001 Feb;42(2):241-51
references.pmid: 11280420
references.citation: Nat Rev Neurosci. 2010 Mar;11(3):201-11
references.pmid: 20145623
references.citation: J Pers Disord. 2002 Oct;16(5):437-52
references.pmid: 12489310
references.citation: Arch Clin Neuropsychol. 2011 Feb;26(1):48-58
references.pmid: 21134887