Characteristics of Borderline Personality Disorder and Disgust Sensitivity

Background: In recent years, research has shown disgust to be an emotion that contributes to many behaviors and interpersonal relationships. Individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) have difficulty with interpersonal relationships and tend to have intense emotions. This article reports findings of two studies investigating the relationship between characteristics of BPD and disgust sensitivity.

Method: In study 1, racially diverse undergraduates completed measures assessing their levels of borderline features, disgust sensitivity, and their Big Five personality traits. In study 2, a sample of adults completed measures assessing their levels of borderline features, disgust sensitivity across multiple domains, and their Big Five personality traits.

Results: Multiple regression analyses indicated higher BPD characteristics were associated with heightened pathogen disgust in both studies. Results of study 2 showed BPD features to be also associated with lowered moral disgust sensitivity.