title: Effortful Control, Rejection Sensitivity, and Borderline Personality Disorder Features in Adulthood.
abstract: This investigation examined the moderating role of effortful control (EC) in the association between rejection sensitivity (RS) and its subsequent interpersonal distress (IP-distress) on borderline personality disorder (BPD) features. In total, 625 multicultural undergraduates (Study 1) and 562 community international adults (Study 2) completed scales evaluating EC, RS, IP-distress, and BPD features; Study 2 participants also self-reported both anxious and angry expectations of rejection. In both samples, EC moderated the mediating effect of IP-distress in the link between RS and BPD-related psychopathology. The extent to which RS was associated with BPD symptoms through increased IP-distress was greater for individuals with low EC and less so for those with high EC. Thus, low self-regulatory abilities may foster the association between RS and BPD by magnifying interpersonal distress. The implications and limitations of findings are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Unit of Psychiatry, University of Parma, Italy.|Personality Disorders Lab, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Panfilis
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, PhD Program in Clinical Psychology, Long Island University Brooklyn Campus, Brooklyn, New York, USA.|Department of Psychiatry, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, White Plains, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Kevin B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Meehan
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, PhD Program in Clinical Psychology, Long Island University Brooklyn Campus, Brooklyn, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Nicole M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Cain
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, White Plains, New York, USA.
authors.forename: John F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Clarkin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000786:Anger; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012059:Rejection, Psychology; D020377:Self Efficacy; D057566:Self Report; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*