Impulsive Behaviours; Causal Attributions, Guilt and Shame in BPD.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Impulsive and Risky Behaviours; Self-reported Causal Attributions, Guilt and Shame for individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder.
IRAS ID
145341
Contact name
Pascale Sophie Russell
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Research & Innovation Support (RIS), University of Surrey
Research summary
This study aims to explore whether adults with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) who engage in more impulsive and risky behaviours will score highly on the measure of shame proneness and attribute the cause of their transgressions as being external, uncontrollable and stable.
There are a high proportion of individuals with BPD in UK prisons. BPD are recognised as engaging in impulsive and risky behaviours. An inability to regulate ones intense emotions can lead to conflict, outbursts of anger and violence. Previous research has found high shame proneness in BPD and identified an indirect positive relationship between aggression and shame that is mediated by the externalization of blame. Shame occurs as a result of internal, stable and uncontrollable attributions for negative events, repeated internal attributions leads to the experience of chronic shame. Therefore, one makes external attributions as a strategy to avoid the conscious shame experience.
To my knowledge research exploring the frequency in which individuals with BPD engage in risky behaviours is sparse and none have studied the causal attributions nor the moral emotions related to these. The research into forensic issues have considered the understanding of how offenders interpret their criminal behaviour as crucial in the development of effective assessment and treatment aimed at reducing reoffending. Gaining an understanding into this area could help to inform interventions for BPD with the aim to reduce the risk of offending behaviour.
A quantitative study using three questionnaires will assess the frequency the individuals engage in risky behaviours, their level of shame proneness and causal attributions for the behaviours that will take a total of 45 minutes to complete. Participants will have a diagnosis of BPD and be engaging in treatment within community mental health services. The study will take place at the therapy centre where the participants attend therapy sessions.REC name
London - Fulham Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/LO/0099
Date of REC Opinion
12 Feb 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion