Borderline personality disorder and self-conscious affect: Too much shame but not enough guilt?

• DOI: 10.1037/per0000176
• Publication Date: 2016-02-12T13:46:36Z
• Authors: Jessica R. Peters; Paul J. Geiger
• Keywords: Shame; Hostility; Affect; PsycINFO; Association (psychology)

Shame has emerged as a particularly relevant emotion to the maintenance and exacerbation of borderline personality disorder (BPD) features; however, little attention been paid potentially differing effects other forms self-conscious affect. While guilt demonstrated have adaptive functions in social psychology literature, it not previously explored whether lack socially might also contribute BPD-related dysfunction. The present study examined relationship between BPD features emotions sample undergraduate students (n = 839). Increased shame decreased independently accounted for significant variance association anger, hostility, externalization blame. Only increased significantly mediated anger rumination, only aggression. These findings suggest its associated problems with externalizing may be characterized by high levels shame, but lower guilt. Clinical implications include need differentiate teach responses warranted (PsycINFO Database Record