Emptiness, personality dysfunction, and emotion dysregulation: An experience sampling study.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Personality Psychology

Background:

• The concept of emptiness is often vaguely defined, leading to theoretical and empirical challenges.
• Previous research has treated emptiness as a static trait, neglecting its dynamic, experiential nature.
• Studies on emptiness have been narrowly focused on borderline personality disorder, overlooking its broader relevance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the trait- and state-level determinants of emptiness.
• To explore the relationship between personality dysfunction, identity disturbance, emotion dysregulation, and emptiness.
• To examine emptiness within a general community sample using an experience sampling method.

Main Methods:

• Employed an experience sampling design over 14 days with 120 community participants.
• Assessed personality dysfunction (interpersonal and self-domains), identity disturbance, and emotion dysregulation.
• Analyzed predictors of between-person mean and instability in emptiness, and within-person emptiness.

Main Results:

• A strong association was found between within-person sadness and emptiness.
• Mean-level emptiness correlated with personality dysfunction and identity disturbance.
• Emptiness instability was significantly linked to emotion dysregulation.

Conclusions:

• The study enhances clarity on the construct of emptiness by differentiating trait and state aspects.
• Findings highlight the multifaceted nature of emptiness, connecting it to various psychological constructs.
• Results suggest that interventions targeting emotion dysregulation may be beneficial for individuals experiencing emptiness instability.