Dataset

The present study examined whether shame induction impairs self-other distinction in individuals with high versus low borderline personality traits and whether this effect differs across emotional and cognitive domains. In a 2 × 2 between-subjects quasi-experimental design, 154 young adults were classified as having high or low borderline traits and assigned either to a shame induction condition, involving recall of shameful autobiographical memories, or to a control condition, involving recall of neutral memories from the previous day.

Emotional and cognitive egocentric bias were then assessed using behavioral tasks. Individuals with high borderline personality traits and those exposed to shame induction exhibited greater egocentric bias than their comparison groups. Critically, the interaction between borderline personality traits and shame induction was significant only for emotional egocentric bias, indicating that shame selectively impaired emotional self–other distinction among individuals with high borderline personality traits.