Cited by 22Personality Disorders and PsychopathologyPersonality Traits and PsychologyAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes

Enhanced memory for negative social information in borderline personality disorder.

Open access
Niedtfeld, Inga, Renkewitz, Frank, Mädebach, Andreas, Hillmann, Karen, Kleindienst, Nikolaus, Schmahl, Christian, Schulze, Lars·2020·Journal of Abnormal Psychology

Published version of a preprint

Abstract

Biased social cognition toward an enhanced processing of negative social information might contribute to instability in interpersonal relationships. Such interpersonal dysfunctions are important for the understanding of several mental disorders, among them borderline personality disorder (BPD). To experimentally test enhanced memory retrieval of negative social information, using a newly developed variant of a looking-at-nothing paradigm, 45 BPD patients and 36 healthy women learned positive and negative personality traits of different target persons. In a translational memory test, participants were asked to use the learned information to evaluate statements about the target person. In addition to behavioral measures of memory performance, we investigated eye gaze patterns to decompose memory retrieval processes. We hypothesized that BPD patients would retrieve negative as compared to positive person information more accurately than healthy controls, and show increased eye gaze toward spatial locations where negative information was provided during the learning phase. Results pointed to a more accurate retrieval of negative person attributes in the patient group as compared with healthy controls, thereby corroborating a negativity bias in social cognition in an exemplary sample of patients with interpersonal problems. Interestingly, the observed negativity bias for person memory was associated with BPD severity, stronger expectancies to be rejected by others, and social detachment. No group differences regarding eye fixation behavior were found. We propose that enhanced retrieval of negative person information might be associated with dysfunctional cognitive schemas as well as reduced behavioral trust, and be of relevance for mental disorders characterized by interpersonal difficulties. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

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Crossref · 10.1037/abn0000540

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  • BPD is characterized by impulsive, intrusive, and angry enmeshment in, rather than only detachment from, primary relationships in reaction to a combination of a terror of abandonment and a fragmented and unstable sense of self, which is acted out as hostile and impulsive demands in relationships.

    “BPD, by contrast, is characterized by impulsive, intrusive, and angry enmeshment in, rather than only detachment from, primary relationships in reaction to a combination of a terror of abandonment and a fragmented and unstable sense of self, which is acted out as hostile and impulsive demands in relationships [30, 108, 127, 144].”

    From Complex PTSD and borderline personality disorder (2021) · cites this paper as [127]

  • BPD involves emotion dysregulation associated with deficits in social cognition related to dichotomous thinking, paranoia, aggressive attributions, and increased attention to, but impaired recognition, understanding, and empathy for, the emotions, thoughts, and intentions of others.

    “BPD also involves emotion dysregulation associated with deficits in social cognition related to dichotomous thinking, paranoia, aggressive attributions, and increased attention to, but impaired recognition, understanding, and empathy for, the emotions, thoughts, and intentions of others [30, 108, 127, 144].”

    From Complex PTSD and borderline personality disorder (2021) · cites this paper as [127]

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Authors
Niedtfeld, I., Renkewitz, F., Mädebach, A., Hillmann, K., Kleindienst, N., Schmahl, C., & Schulze, L.
Affiliations
  • Heidelberg University (DE)
  • University of Erfurt (DE)
  • Universitat Pompeu Fabra (ES)
  • Freie Universität Berlin (DE)
Venue
Journal of Abnormal Psychology
Published
2020-07
Volume
129
Issue
5
Pages
480-491
ISSN
  • 0021-843X (ISSN-L)
  • 1939-1846
OpenAlex
W3027610947
Cited by
22
References
97
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 1
FWCI
1.30
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • Journal of Abnormal Psychology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints) (submittedVersion)
Funders
German Research Foundation (NI 1591/1–1, SCHU 2961/2–1)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Disorders and Psychopathology
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
Keywords
borderline personality disorder, negativity bias, gaze patterns, interpersonal problems, social detachment, cognitive schemas, trust
MeSH terms
Adult, Borderline Personality Disorder, Emotions, Female, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Memory, Social Behavior, Social Perception, Trust, Young Adult

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