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An Object Relations Model of Borderline Pathology

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John F Clarkin at Weill Cornell Medicine
John F Clarkin
Mark F Lenzenweger at Binghamton University
Mark F Lenzenweger
Frank E. Yeomans at Weill Cornell Medicine
Frank E. Yeomans
Kenneth Levy at Pennsylvania State University
Kenneth Levy
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AN OBJECT RELATIONS MODEL OF BORDERLINE PATHOLOGY
John F Clarkin; Mark F Lenzenweger; Frank Yeomans; Kenneth N Levy; Otto F Ker...
Journal of Personality Disorders; Oct 2007; 21, 5; ProQuest Psychology Journals
pg. 474
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... Interpersonal dysfunction, characterized by an intense, volatile, and unstable relational style (APA, 2022), is a core feature of BPD. Theorists have suggested that BPD arises from the transaction between constitutional vulnerabilities and problematic relationships early in life which lead to distorted internal representations, or working models, of the self and others (e.g., Clarkin et al., 2007;Fonagy et al., 2011;Kernberg, 2004). Consequently, individuals with BPD develop insecure attachment styles characterized by an expectation of abandonment or threat, clinging behavior and a need for closeness, attention and support (Gunderson, 1996;Levy et al., 2015), an impaired capacity to understand their own and others' mental states (i.e., mentalize; Fonagy et al. 2011), and a tendency to oscillate between idealization and devaluation of others (APA, 2022;Kernberg, 2004). ...
... Interpersonal difficulties in BPD impact and are influenced by, including emotion dysregulation (Crowell et al., 2014;Linehan, 1993) and issues of identity (Clarkin et al., 2007). ...
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... In the context of Kernberg's model, trauma is regarded to impede, either directly or indirectly, the internalization of object relations, mainly by disrupting attachment relationships (Clarkin et al., 2007). Across development, various types of adversity have a negative impact on processes such as the integration of (good and bad) self and other representations (identity formation), cognitive and emotional self-regulation, and formation of a system of moral values (e. ...
... Another reason for these findings may be the low prevalence of . This finding provides support to the basic premise of Kernberg's model, namely that trauma is likely to cause personality pathology by disrupting parent-child attachment (Clarkin et al., 2007). Verbal abuse, invalidating parenting practices, vague and inconsistent family rules, unfair discipline, and parents using the child as a confidant (i.e., the facets of emotional abuse assessed in this study) appeared to increase the risk of personality pathology in emerging adulthood regardless of gender. ...
Concurrent Associations Between Trauma and Borderline Personality Organization in Emerging Adulthood
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  • Dec 2024
Introduction: There is limited research on the role of traumatic experiences in the development of borderline personality organization (BPO), which is a level of personality pathology characterized by identity diffusion, primitive defenses, impairment in reality testing, aggression, and deficits in the internalization of moral values, according to Kernberg's psychodynamic model. Even less research evidence exists on the role of adult trauma in BPO. Aim of this Study: Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the concurrent associations between different types of trauma after the age of 18 and BPO in emerging adulthood. Method: A community sample of 494 Greek emerging adults (aged 18-29 years, M = 21.38) completed the Traumatic Antecedents Questionnaire and the Inventory of Personality Organization. Results: Structural equation modeling indicated low to moderate associations between trauma and BPO. The type of trauma that was most strongly associated with BPO was emotional abuse (including verbal abuse), especially for women. Only for men substance abuse (alcohol and drugs) and traumatic life events (e.g., accident, illness, disaster, death) were significant risk factors for BPO. Conclusion: This study highlighted the differential and age-specific impact of the various types of concurrent trauma on personality pathology during emerging adulthood. The findings of this study, especially regarding the negative impact of emotional abuse on young women and of substance abuse and traumatic life events on young men, should be considered in designing and implementing developmentally-and trauma-informed as well as gender-sensitive screening and intervention practices with emerging adults. Further research is needed to elucidate the role of chronic, cumulative, and complex trauma in BPO in clinical and non-clinical populations of emerging adults.
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... The pathological structure of the borderline personality organization (Kernberg, 1967) is characterized by difficulties in regulating the intense emotions that emerge during the interaction. Such dysregulation with the corresponding cognitive distortions resulting in oscillations between devaluation/idealization is sustained by a paranoid and hostile view of the world that, in turn, increases the negative affect (Clarkin et al., 2007;Kernberg & Caligor, 2005). Moreover, these cognitive and emotional dysregulations reflect the inability to modulate emotions within the interaction rooted in negative affective expectations (Agrawal et al., 2004;Gunderson, 2007). ...
... Moreover, we also found a main effect of BPD traits on the SD of the ITIs in predicting the next tone. All those findings might be associated with hyperactivation of the attachment (approach-avoidance; Gunderson & Lyons-Ruth, 2008) underlying split view of self and other representations (Clarkin et al., 2007;Kernberg & Caligor, 2005), feelings of rejection, and abandonment (Gunderson, 2007). ...
Stable Asynchrony? Association Between Borderline Personality Traits and Interpersonal Asynchrony
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  • Dec 2024
Interpersonal coordination processes facilitate interpersonal synchrony through a continuous mutual adaption and corepresentation of self and others’ actions. Such a process has been found to enhance prosocial behaviors, affiliation, and trust. While research has investigated the general underlying cognitive and social mechanisms that facilitate interpersonal synchrony, much less is known about how interpersonal impairments influence it in various psychopathological conditions—such as borderline personality disorder (BPD). In this study, we investigated the role of the social cognitive processes of individuals with high BPD traits during a synchronized interaction task. Participants (N = 206) were recruited from the general population. BPD traits were assessed, and interpersonal synchrony was measured with a finger-tapping task. Participants were instructed to interact with a virtual partner (VP) that varied its adaptivity level in response to their taps across different conditions of adaptivity (α), ranging from nonadaptive to overly adaptive. After each interaction, the perception of synchrony and affect were assessed. Results showed an overall main significant effect of the adaptivity of the VP on interpersonal synchrony and the interaction experience, such that when VP adaptivity increased, asynchrony and perceived synchrony decreased. High levels of BPD traits were associated with higher asynchrony and variability, depending on the level of VP adaptivity, and an overall more negative perception of synchrony and affect. These findings show that high BPD traits are associated with reduced interpersonal synchrony during interaction. Consistent with these findings, interventions might consider the potential role of interpersonal synchrony in building the therapeutic relationship.
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... Anger, hostility, and anxiety are facets of neuroticism associated with BPD symptoms (Dinger et al., 2021). In many prominent pathological models of BPD, it is assumed that negative reactivity in BPD reflects negative self-perceptions and emotional dysregulation, which suggest that individuals with BPD struggle to cope with interpersonal conflicts (Clarkin et al., 2007). Neuroticism is a basic component of personality models (Costa & McCrae, 1992;Moghadam et al., 2022) and is considered as a risk factor in many psychiatric disorders (Hougsnaes et al., 2017). ...
The Role of Neuroticism Facets in Predicting Symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder
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  • Jan 2024
Borderline personality disorder is a debilitating condition characterized by difficulties in emotion regulation, impulsivity, and interpersonal problems. The present study aimed to address the role of neuroticism facets in prediction Symptoms of borderline personality disorder. The research method was a cross-sectional and correlational study. The statistical population of the study consisted of students from the Islamic Azad University of Tabriz (31,447 people) in 2020-2021. The sample size according to Morgan's table was 400 students. The participants were selected using Convenience Sampling method, and they completed online versions of the Neuroticism Questionnaire and the Borderline Personality Scale. Data analysis was performed by structural equation modeling method. The software used for analysis were SPSS and SmartPLS. The results showed that anxiety (ß=0.86, P<0.05), anger (ß=0.43, P<0.05), and depression (ß=0.16, P<0.05) had significant relationships with hopelessness. Anxiety (ß=0.164, P<0.05), anger (ß=0.22, P<0.05), depression (ß=0.162, P<0.05), self-conscious (ß=0.24, P<0.05), and Impulsivity (ß=0.76, P<0.05) had significant relationships with impulsivity. Anxiety (ß=0.21, P<0.05), depression (ß=0.84, P<0.05), self-conscious (ß=0.17, P<0.05), and Impulsivity (ß=0.13, P<0.05) had significant relationships with dissociation. Therefore, findings revealed that neuroticism can be an important construct in predicting BPD symptoms in clinical intervention. Focusing on neuroticism symptoms and reduction of negative reactions, could be useful targets to reduce signs of BPD.
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