1. Overview of Research in Lab of Dr. Rosemery Nelson Gray
1. Past recent research focused on risk (for psychopathology) and resilience (for coping) produced by BIS (Behavioral Inhibition System) and BAS (Behavioral Activation System) of Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory
2. Current research focuses on processes related to borderline personality disorder traits

2. Borderline Personality Disorder Diagnostic Criteria
DSM-IV-TR & DSM-5

3. 301.83 Borderline Personality Disorder
A pervasive pattern of instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affects, and marked impulsivity beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following nine diagnostic criteria:

4. Borderline PD diagnostic criteria 1-4
Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment
A pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships characterized by alternating between extremes of idealization and devaluation
Identity disturbance: markedly and persistently unstable self-image or sense of self
Impulsivity in at least two areas that are potentially self-damaging (e.g., spending, sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge eating)

5. Borderline PD diagnostic criteria #5-9
Recurrent suicidal behavior, gestures, or threats, or self-mutilating behavior
Affective instability due to a marked reactivity of mood (e.g., intense episodic dysphoria, irritability, or anxiety usually lasting a few hours and only rarely more than a few days)
Chronic feelings of emptiness
Inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger (e.g., frequent displays of temper, constant anger, recurrent physical fights)
Transient, stress-related paranoid ideation or severe dissociative symptoms

6. Typical Lab Research Paradigm
1. Participants are undergraduates from the participant pool.
2. Borderline personality traits are examined dimensionally, with participants along a continuum of higher and lower degrees of borderline personality disorder traits.
3. Participants higher in borderline traits are identified through mass screening and are oversampled in our studies.
4. Typically, participants come to our lab and partake of the experimental paradigm on lab computers:
A. Pre measures
B. Lab manipulation
C. Post measures
5. Research questions focus on different processes in those higher in borderline personality disorder traits

7. Past lab studies on relationships and BPD traits
Diagnostic criterion #1: Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment
Katie Kuhlken thesis: The interaction of BPD symptoms and daily relationship dissatisfaction measures predicted anger (not anxiety nor depression). Anger is noted in Diagnostic Criterion #8
Daily diary method
Personality disorders: Theory, research, and treatment, 2014, 5,

8. Katie Kuhlken dissertation
Literature review: Women with BPD frequently partnered with men with antisocial or narcissistic personality disorder
Participants completed NEO-PI on themselves and on their partners
Women higher in BPD traits preferred partners similar to themselves (similarity model) (including high neuroticism) rather than partners dissimilar to themselves (complementarity model)

9. Past lab studies on relationships and BPD traits – rejection manipulation
Stephanie Skinner’s dissertation
Participants either relived a personal rejection experience or a control acceptance experience.
Main effect for rejection on 1-9 rating scale (positive to negative)
Women higher in BPD traits showed more anger and depression (not anxiety) (on POMS) following a rejection experience.
Same effects when Rejection Sensitivity scores were partialled out

10. Lab studies on the function of romantic relationship in BPD
Diagnostic criterion: Frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment
Why? What is the purpose or function that romantic relationships serve for those high in BPD that makes these relationships so important to them?
1. Questionnaire results, such as Social Provisions Scale
2. Free-form responses, coded for functions
3. Results: Relationships serve similar functions for those across the borderline trait continuum, but participants higher in borderline traits are more anxious or worried about maintaining their relationships (consistent with a large literature that borderlines have insecure attachment patterns)
4. Current study - experience sampling methodology (ESM) –daily data collection on relationship satisfaction and daily relationship functions

11. Recently completed study– effects of rejection on impulsivity on those higher in borderline traits
Alex Birthrong thesis - Undergraduate participants (n = 195) were randomly assigned to a social rejection or academic failure task in which they were asked to write about a time when they felt intensely socially rejected, or a time they experienced an academic failure, respectively. A main effect of BPD traits was found for reported risk-taking after the social rejection or academic failure (e.g., alcohol use, risky sexual behavior, drug use), more risky performance on a computerized analogue risk-taking task the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART), and emotional reactions to the relived event. An interaction between rejection condition and level of BPD traits was found to predict alcohol use, risky sexual behavior, total self-reported risk-taking behavior, and the importance of the relived event. All results using a second computerized analogue risk task, the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) were nonsignificant. Lastly, and contrary to expectation, a significant interaction between BPD traits and rejection in predicting Profile of Mood States Total Mood Disturbance was not found.

12. Recently completed study – effects of “rejection” on tolerance of sexual coercion on those higher in borderline traits
Malachi Willis thesis: This study attempted to induce feelings of insecurity about one’s romantic relationship—using a false feedback manipulation—to see if this prime lead to attitudes more tolerant of sexual coercion from a romantic partner, which is a risk factor for intimate partner victimization. Participants were randomly told that they match poorly or highly with their partners. Participants higher in BPD features reported more tolerant attitudes toward sexual coercion. Moreover, there was a near-significant interaction between BPD traits and condition. Those in the poorly matched condition expressed more tolerant attitudes toward sexual coercion the higher their borderline features; this association was not present in the highly matched condition. Follow-up analyses investigated various motivations for and approaches to sexual behavior. It appears that those higher in borderline features in the poorly matched condition use sexual behavior to avoid losing their partner or having conflict with their partner.
(Willis, M., & Nelson-Gray, R.O. (in press). Borderline personality disorder traits and sexual compliance: A fear of abandonment manipulation   Personality and Individual Differences.

13. Current studies in progress (1)
1. Experience sampling methodology (ESM) – initial questionnaires (including a borderline measure) and explanation to participants re. ESM methods – daily ratings of relationship satisfaction and rationale for the rating based on common functions of relationships
2. Jake King’s dissertation – effects of inducing a sad mood interacting with emotion dysregulation (borderline traits). Those with poorer emotion regulation who wrote about a sad event (instead of a control neutral event) had poorer response inhibition (DERS, Impulsivity subscale) on lab tasks
3. Blake and Shannon – participants with range of borderline traits – reaction to rejection by potential friends vs. potential romantic partners – pilot study completed; follow-up being conducted

14. Current studies in progress (2)
4. Sudheera Master’s thesis– pre-measure of mood and emotions, stressful lab manipulation to affect distress tolerance (vs. a control task), post-measure of mood and emotions, lab task intended to assess interpersonal functioning
5. Shannon Master’s thesis– pre-measure of mood, lab task of writing a prosocial letter or a typical day letter, post-measure of mood, lab task intended to assess prosocial or sharing behavior
6. Morgan honors thesis –pre-measure of mood, cyberball task intended to manipulate feelings of rejection or not, post-measure of mood, lab task intended to assess emotion dysregulation (Emotion Stroop)
7. Ian honors thesis – pre-measure of mood, cyberball task intended to manipulate feelings of rejection or not, post-measure of mood, lab task intended to assess impulsivity (Stop Light Driving Task, Balloon Analogue Risk Task)
8. Sudheera and Blake – premeasures of friendship quality and mood, stressful lab manipulation to affect distress tolerance (Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task), post measure of mood – hypothesis that friendship quality moderates distress tolerance in face of stressful situation

15. Current studies in progress (3)
Three undergraduate honors theses, run as one on-line study:
9. Nicole Davis - It is predicted that individuals who are higher in BPD features and more anxious attachment will have more accepting views of abuse and violence in comparison to those lower in BPD features and/or those with more secure attachment.
10. Scott Fishkin - It is predicted that individuals with higher borderline personality traits will be most likely to use avoidance-focused coping behaviors, with impulsiveness moderating the relationship between BPD and avoidance-focused coping.
11. Sierra Rufino - It is predicted that individuals with higher borderline traits will report a lower quality of friendship, exhibit an impairment in recognizing emotions in facial expressions, and the ability to recognize emotions will moderate the relationship between borderline traits and friendship quality.

16. Current studies in progress (4)
Vicki Pinson – honors thesis – to be run in computer labs on-line
It is predicted that individuals who are high in borderline personality traits and/or  anxious attachment style will demonstrate increased emotion recognition accuracy under the positive attachment prime condition.  I put the and/or in here, since I plan to run the same analysis once with BPD and once with anxious attachment.