INTERPERSONAL CONSEQUENCES OF NARCISSISTIC AND BORDERLINE PERSONALITY-DISORDERS

This study explored the interpersonal consequences of narcissistic and borderline personality disorders. One hundred forty-nine undergraduat e males and females were instructed to watch one of four videotapes de picting male or female narcissists or borderlines. A modified version of the First Impressions Questionnaire (FIQ: Bryan, Coleman, Ganong, & Bryan, 1986) was used to measure participants' perceptions of each pe rsonality type. Results suggested that the interpersonal consequences of the borderline personality style are more negative than those assoc iated with narcissism. The male and female exhibiting borderline perso nality disorder were perceived as more insecure, more unstable, more u npredictable, more aggressive, and less powerful than the male and fem ale exhibiting narcissistic personality disorder. A sequential time an alysis failed to produce negative carryover effects following presenta tion of personality disorders, suggesting that an initial neutral impr ession may override a subsequent negative impression of disordered per sonality when evaluated in a second neutral segment.