The effect of BPD features on direct trust appraisal and indirect trust learning

Objective. Borderline Personality disorder (BPD) is a clinical condition that impairs patient’s interpersonal skills. In particular, we focus on trust impairments, as they play a central role in interpersonal difficulties characteristic of BPD conditions. This contribution assesses the hypotheses that BPD traits are associated with impairments in trust appraisal, trust learning, and trust behaviors. To do so, in a preliminary study we investigated the relation between BPD traits and trust appraisal, measured both directly and indirectly. In the main study we assessed the association between BPD traits and implicit trust learning and trust behavior. Methods. In both studies undergraduate female students (N = 125, M age =22.13, SD =2.691; N = 126, M age =22.58, SD =2.28) completed the BPD Checklist. In the first study, participants rated a series of neutral faces (both female and male) in terms of trust and completed a reaction time task (Gaze Cueing Procedure), allowing to assess the facilitating effect of congruent cues (i.e., gazes from neutral faces), named Gaze Cueing Effect. In the second study, participants also rated neutral faces and then a modified Gaze Cueing Procedure was used as manipulation of trustworthiness of neutral faces (resulting in trustworthy vs untrustworthy faces). Participants finally rated the faces again and reported trust-related behavioral intentions toward them. Results. Congruent with previous results (King-Casas et al., 2008; Unoka et al., 2009) we confirmed that higher BPD features were associated with lower ratings of trustworthiness of the faces (Study 1 & 2), but not with the Gaze Cueing Effect (Saunders et al. 2015). In Study 2, we found a significant change in trust after the manipulation (both in terms of appraisal and behavioral intentions) and this effect was not associated with BPD traits. Conclusions. Our contribution showed a relation between BPD traits and direct trust appraisal of faces, whereas BPD traits did not influence indirect trust appraisal. Furthermore, higher BPD traits do not impair implicit trust learning, at least in a non clinical sample.