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Keywords:

Social Sciences, Psychology, Social, Psychology, Behavioural inhibition, Behavioural activation, Effortful control, Personality disorders, BEHAVIORAL-INHIBITION, ANXIETY, IMPULSIVITY, TEMPERAMENT, ACTIVATION, CONSTRUCT, 1701 Psychology, 1702 Cognitive Sciences, Social Psychology, 5202 Biological psychology, 5205 Social and personality psychology

Abstract:

Associations of both reactive and regulative temperamental features with personality disorders (PDs) are investigated in a sample of 162 normal controls and 89 psychiatric inpatients. Reactive and regulative temperamental features were assessed by means of the BIS/BAS Scales and the Attentional Control Scale. Dimensional PD scores were obtained by using the ADP-IV. All PDs were characterized by low levels of effortful control, cluster C PDs by high BIS and cluster B PDs by high BAS. For several PDs, BIS and effortful control interacted: BIS was only related to severe PD pathology if effortful control was low. Clinical implications of these findings are discussed. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.