Pathological personality traits and emotion regulation difficulties

The present research investigated associations between pathological personality traits and emotion regulation difficulties. Study 1 examined the associations between pathological personality traits and self-reported aspects of emotion dysregulation among 932 undergraduates. The results of Study 1 revealed associations between pathological personality traits and specific aspects of emotion dysregulation (e.g., antagonism was associated with impulse control difficulties and limited access to emotion regulation strategies). Study 2 was an experience-sampling study that explored the relationship between pathological personality traits and emotional reactivity to daily events for 350 undergraduates over the course of seven days. Key results from Study 2 showed that negative affectivity, detachment, and antagonism moderated individuals' reactions to daily negative interpersonal events. The results of these studies suggest important connections between pathological personality traits and emotion regulation difficulties that may shed light on the interpersonal problems that often accompany personality pathology.