Borderline personality disorder traits and sexual compliance: A fear of abandonment manipulation

Abstract

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) traits are primarily characterized by frantic efforts to avoid abandonment and unstable interpersonal relationships. Sexual coercion and consequently sexual compliance are overrepresented in the romantic relationships of those with BPD traits. The present study examined whether this association is altered after inducing fear of abandonment with a novel false feedback manipulation. After receiving an accurate personality assessment, 130 undergraduate women were randomly told how well they match with their current romantic partner—either in 11th percentile or the 89th. Our manipulation decreased mood and relationship expectations in the poorly matched condition; these effects were positive in the highly matched condition. We found that this fear of abandonment manipulation moderated the association between BPD traits and hypothetical sexual compliance. In the poorly matched condition, participants predicted that they would be more likely to engage in unwanted sexual activity the more BPD traits they endorsed (ß=0.498, p<0.001, ηp2=0.257); this association was not present in the highly matched condition (ß=0.209, p=0.102, ηp2=0.045). Knowing that the relationship between BPD traits and sexual compliance may be situational increases our understanding of the relationships of people with BPD traits.