Roles
Olga U.A. Nynaes '16, Gettysburg College
Emily S. Wakschal '16, Gettysburg College
Laura M. Kapner '17, Gettysburg College
Erin Sweeney '18, Gettysburg College
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2018
Department 1
Psychology
Abstract
Individuals with borderline and avoidant personality disorders show interpersonal dysfunction that includes maladaptive responses to rejection and reduced emotional benefits from acceptance. To identify the attributional styles that may underlie these difficulties, we examined causal attributions for rejection and acceptance among undergraduates high in features of each disorder and a healthy comparison group. In Study 1, participants rated how likely they were to attribute hypothetical rejection and acceptance experiences to positive and negative qualities of the self and others, as well as external circumstances. In Study 2, we examined these same attributions in daily diary assessments of real rejection and acceptance experiences. Although the two studies showed some differences in results, they both linked borderline personality features with suspicious, selfbolstering responses and avoidant personality features with perceived inferiority. Distinct attributional styles may contribute to the distinct interpersonal problems characteristic of these conditions.
Copyright Note
This is the publisher's version of the work. This publication appears in Gettysburg College's institutional repository by permission of the copyright owner for personal use, not for redistribution.
DOI
10.1521/jscp.2018.37.6.431
Version
Version of Record
Recommended Citation
Berenson, Kathy R., Olga Nynaes, Emily S. Wakschal, Laura M. Kapner, and Erin C. Sweeney. "Attributions for Rejection and Acceptance in Young Adults With Borderline and Avoidant Personality Features." Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology 37, no. 6 (2018): 431-452.
Required Publisher's Statement
The article can be found on the publisher's website: https://guilfordjournals.com/doi/abs/10.1521/jscp.2018.37.6.431