Normal mind-reading capacity but higher response confidence in borderline personality disorder patients
Corresponding Author
Lisa Schilling MS
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf
Lisa Schilling, MS, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany. Email: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorKatja Wingenfeld PhD
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité University Medical Center Berlin, Berlin
Search for more papers by this authorBernd Löwe MD
Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf and Schön Klinik Hamburg-Eilbek, Hamburg
Search for more papers by this authorSteffen Moritz PhD
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf
Search for more papers by this authorKirsten Terfehr MS
Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf and Schön Klinik Hamburg-Eilbek, Hamburg
Search for more papers by this authorUlf Köther MS
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf
Search for more papers by this authorCarsten Spitzer MD
Department of Psychotherapy, Psychiatry and Psychosomatic, Asklepios Fachklinik Tiefenbrunn, Rosdorf, Germany
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Lisa Schilling MS
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf
Lisa Schilling, MS, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany. Email: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorKatja Wingenfeld PhD
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité University Medical Center Berlin, Berlin
Search for more papers by this authorBernd Löwe MD
Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf and Schön Klinik Hamburg-Eilbek, Hamburg
Search for more papers by this authorSteffen Moritz PhD
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf
Search for more papers by this authorKirsten Terfehr MS
Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf and Schön Klinik Hamburg-Eilbek, Hamburg
Search for more papers by this authorUlf Köther MS
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf
Search for more papers by this authorCarsten Spitzer MD
Department of Psychotherapy, Psychiatry and Psychosomatic, Asklepios Fachklinik Tiefenbrunn, Rosdorf, Germany
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Aim: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by a pattern of instability in interpersonal relationships. Therefore, the investigation of social cognition is of compelling interest for the understanding of BPD. One important aspect of social cognition is theory of mind (ToM), which describes the ability to understand others' mental states, such as beliefs, desires and intentions. The aim of the present study was to further investigate ToM in BPD patients.
Methods: The Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test was assessed in 31 BPD patients and 27 healthy controls. In addition, the test was complemented by a response confidence rating.
Results: BPD patients and healthy controls did not differ in their mind-reading ability with respect to accuracy, but patients were significantly more often highly confident in their decisions than controls.
Conclusions: Overconfidence might contribute to the severe difficulties in interpersonal relationships often observed in BPD patients.
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