Implicit and explicit self-concept of neuroticism in borderline personality disorder

Abstract

Purpose: In the past, research on personality in borderline personality disorder (BPD) used primarily questionnaires suggesting heightened neuroticism in BPD. Self-report instruments inform about the conscious or explicit self-concept. BPD patients are known to show negative distortion with exaggeration of negative affect in the self-report. Neuroticism represents a risk factor for mental disorders. Indirect measures are available that tap into the implicit self-concept of neuroticism. The implicit self-concept refers to individual differences in associative representations of the self. The present study examined for the first time the implicit in addition to the explicit self-concept of neuroticism in BPD.

Materials and methods: Female BPD patients (N = 35) and healthy women (N = 39) completed an implicit association test and the NEO-FFI personality inventory.

Results: BPD patients showed higher implicit and explicit neuroticism compared to controls. The group difference for explicit neuroticism was four times larger than that for implicit neuroticism. Presence of comorbid depressive disorder was positively correlated with implicit neuroticism. The IAT neuroticism showed excellent split-half reliability for BPD patients.

Conclusions: The present data suggest that BPD patients with comorbid clinical depression but not those without clinical depression differ from healthy individuals in their implicit self-concept of neuroticism. In the associative network, BPD patients with comorbid clinical depression exhibit stronger associations of the self with neuroticism-related characteristics, such as nervousness, fearfulness, and uncertainty than healthy individuals. Regardless of depression, BPD patients show increased explicit neuroticism. Our findings provide evidence that the IAT neuroticism can be applied reliably to BPD patients.

Keywords:

• Implicit Association Test
• neuroticism
• borderline personality disorder
• depression
• NEO Five-Factor Inventory
• female gender

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Bibiana Dukalski

Bibiana Dukalski is a clinical psychologist, research assistant and doctoral student at the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine of the University of Leipzig.

Thomas Suslow

Thomas Suslow is an associate professor at the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine of the University of Leipzig with a university lecturer qualification in cognitive neuropsychology.

Boris Egloff

Boris Egloff is a full professor for personality psychology and psychological assessment at the Department of Psychology of the University of Mainz. He is an international expert in the measurement of implicit personality dimensions.

Anette Kersting

Anette Kersting is a full professor for psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy and head of the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine of the University of Leipzig.

Uta-Susan Donges

Uta-Susan Donges is a chief physician at the Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics of the Martin Gropius Krankenhaus in Eberswalde and guest senior lecturer at the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy of the University of Berlin (Campus Charité Mitte) with research interests in implicit measures of personality and affectivity in mental disorders.