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To thine own self be true: interoceptive accuracy and interpersonal problems.
Wendy D'Andrea1, Nadia Nieves2, Treva Van Cleave3
1The New School for Social Research, 80 Fifth Avenue, New York City, NY, 10011, USA. dandreaw@newschool.edu.
Interoceptive accuracy, the ability to perceive body states, is linked to interpersonal problems in Borderline Personality Disorder. Lower vagal tone, indicating reduced parasympathetic activity, is associated with aggression in BPD.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Psychophysiology
Background:
- Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is characterized by significant interpersonal disruptions, often linked to early maltreatment.
- The specific individual capacities influencing BPD-related interpersonal issues remain unclear.
- This study investigates interoceptive accuracy and parasympathetic activity as potential contributors to interpersonal functioning in BPD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between interoceptive accuracy and interpersonal problems in individuals with BPD.
- To investigate the role of parasympathetic activity (vagal tone) in BPD interpersonal symptoms.
- To understand how these physiological and perceptual capacities may underlie BPD interpersonal difficulties.
Main Methods:
- Sixty-five individuals completed the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems and the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory.
- Interoceptive accuracy was assessed using a heart rate monitoring task.
- Parasympathetic activity was measured via an assessment of vagal tone.
Main Results:
- Individuals with borderline personality disorder styles exhibited poorer interoceptive accuracy.
- Higher aggression levels were associated with lower vagal tone.
- Overall BPD symptoms showed significant relationships with both interoceptive accuracy and vagal tone.
Conclusions:
- Interoceptive accuracy is associated with interpersonal problems, particularly enmeshment and over-influence by others.
- Reduced physical and emotional awareness may contribute to these interpersonal difficulties in BPD.
- Parasympathetic activity, indexed by vagal tone, is also implicated in BPD interpersonal functioning.

