Negative evaluation bias for positive self-referential information in borderline personality disorder

PLoS One. 2015 Jan 22;10(1):e0117083. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0117083. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Previous research has suggested that patients meeting criteria for borderline personality disorder (BPD) display altered self-related information processing. However, experimental studies on dysfunctional self-referential information processing in BPD are rare. In this study, BPD patients (N = 30) and healthy control participants (N = 30) judged positive, neutral, and negative words in terms of emotional valence. Referential processing was manipulated by a preceding self-referential pronoun, an other-referential pronoun, or no referential context. Subsequently, patients and participants completed a free recall and recognition task. BPD patients judged positive and neutral words as more negative than healthy control participants when the words had self-reference or no reference. In BPD patients, these biases were significantly correlated with self-reported attributional style, particularly for negative events, but unrelated to measures of depressive mood. However, BPD patients did not differ from healthy control participants in a subsequent free recall task and a recognition task. Our findings point to a negative evaluation bias for positive, self-referential information in BPD. This bias did not affect the storage of information in memory, but may be related to self-attributions of negative events in everyday life in BPD.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Borderline Personality Disorder / psychology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Irritable Mood*
  • Self-Assessment*

Grants and funding

This work was funded by the German Research Foundation (KFO 256). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.