Effortful Control, Rejection Sensitivity, and Borderline Personality Disorder Features in Adulthood

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Personality Disorders

Background:

• Rejection sensitivity (RS) is linked to interpersonal distress and borderline personality disorder (BPD) features.
• Effortful control (EC), a key self-regulatory capacity, may influence this association.
• Understanding these relationships is crucial for developing targeted interventions for BPD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the moderating role of EC in the association between RS and BPD features, mediated by interpersonal distress.
• To examine if EC influences the pathway from RS to BPD symptoms via increased interpersonal distress.

Main Methods:

• Two studies were conducted with multicultural undergraduates (N=625) and international adults (N=562).
• Participants completed validated scales measuring EC, RS, interpersonal distress, and BPD features.
• Study 2 additionally assessed anxious and angry rejection expectations.

Main Results:

• Effortful control (EC) significantly moderated the indirect effect of rejection sensitivity (RS) on BPD psychopathology through interpersonal distress in both samples.
• The association between RS and BPD symptoms via interpersonal distress was stronger for individuals with low EC.
• Conversely, high EC attenuated this pathway, suggesting a protective effect.

Conclusions:

• Low self-regulatory abilities, indicated by low EC, may exacerbate the link between RS and BPD by magnifying interpersonal distress.
• Findings highlight EC as a critical factor in the development and maintenance of BPD.
• Interventions aimed at enhancing EC may be beneficial for individuals with RS and BPD features.