Borderline Personality Disorder and the five-factor model of personality traits. A correlative study of two self-report instruments (BPI and NEO PI- R)
Abstract
Background
Previous studies yield mixed results with respect to the relation between personality traits and Borderline Personality Disorders (BPD). For instance, in some studies, BPD are said to correlate with Agreeableness, but in other studies not. We look at the relationships between these variables in a non-clinical sample of Swedish university students, and discuss the results in the context of previous findings.
Aims
The aims of this study are to establish which personality traits correlate mostly with BPD. Furthermore, we introduce a translated version of the Borderline Personality Inventory (BPI, Leichsenring, 1999). We provide the results of administering this instrument together with the NEO PI-R to a non-clinical group of Swedish respondents.
Method
The BPI was translated into Swedish. The already existing Swedish version of NEO PI-R was used. The scores on both tests were correlated, and a regression analysis was carried out to see which of the five subscales of the NEO PI-R predicted BPD.
Results
Correlations with the BPI were found on the subscales Extraversion, Neuroticsm, and Conscientiousness, but not on Openness or Agreeableness. The results of the regression analysis, furthermore, suggests that Neuroticism alone may be a good predictor of BPD.
Conclusion
The study confirmed that NEO PI-R scores obtained from a nonclinical sample may be used in terms of their extremity in predicting BPD features as they are captured by the BPI.
Background
Previous studies yield mixed results with respect to the relation between personality traits and Borderline Personality Disorders (BPD). For instance, in some studies, BPD are said to correlate with Agreeableness, but in other studies not. We look at the relationships between these variables in a non-clinical sample of Swedish university students, and discuss the results in the context of previous findings.
Aims
The aims of this study are to establish which personality traits correlate mostly with BPD. Furthermore, we introduce a translated version of the Borderline Personality Inventory (BPI, Leichsenring, 1999). We provide the results of administering this instrument together with the NEO PI-R to a non-clinical group of Swedish respondents.
Method
The BPI was translated into Swedish. The already existing Swedish version of NEO PI-R was used. The scores on both tests were correlated, and a regression analysis was carried out to see which of the five subscales of the NEO PI-R predicted BPD.
Results
Correlations with the BPI were found on the subscales Extraversion, Neuroticsm, and Conscientiousness, but not on Openness or Agreeableness. The results of the regression analysis, furthermore, suggests that Neuroticism alone may be a good predictor of BPD.
Conclusion
The study confirmed that NEO PI-R scores obtained from a nonclinical sample may be used in terms of their extremity in predicting BPD features as they are captured by the BPI.