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Examining the Relationship Between Personality Disorder Traits and Inhibitory/Initiatory Self-Control and Dimensions of Self-Compassion

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Abstract

Personality disorders (PDs) are related to self-control deficiencies, but little is known about whether these deficiencies are related to inhibitory or initiatory self-control. In addition, individuals with PDs also show maladaptive responses to difficult life events, but little is also known about how an individual with a specific PD reacts to stressful life events. Thus, this preliminary study aimed at investigating the relationship between personality disorder traits and inhibitory and initiatory self-control as well as components of self-compassion (including its dimensions self-kindness_self-judgment, common humanity_isolation, mindfulness_over-identification). To do so, 400 university students completed the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire, Self-Control Scale, and Self-Compassion Scale. Stepwise multiple regression analyses revealed that the total personality disorder scores were predicted by high scores on self-judgment, low scores on inhibitory self-control, high scores on isolation and over-identification. Cluster A was predicted by high scores on over-identification, isolation, and low scores on inhibitory self-control. Cluster B was predicted by low scores on inhibitory self-control, high scores on isolation and self-judgment. Cluster C was predicted by high scores on self-judgment, low scores on initiatory self-control, high scores on isolation, and low scores on mindfulness. The results also showed that all personality disorder traits are associated with different aspects of self-control and self-compassion. This study provided preliminary findings showing each different personality disorder trait was characterized by deficiency of either inhibitory or initiatory self-control, as well as mostly negative dimensions of self-compassion.

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Data Availability

Data for this study are available from Ahmad Valikhani via email (valikhani@shirazu.ac.ir).

Notes

  1. *Note: Relationships among all variables are written respectively and in order of importance. The negative relationships among variables are definied, except those that are positive.

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Funding

The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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LRK and AV conceived of the presented idea. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by LRK, AV, and PH. The analytical methods were verified by MF. and PL. The findings of this work was supervised by MF, AM, and PL. All authors discussed the results and contributed to the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Ahmad Valikhani.

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The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Rahmati Kankat, L., Farhadi, M., Valikhani, A. et al. Examining the Relationship Between Personality Disorder Traits and Inhibitory/Initiatory Self-Control and Dimensions of Self-Compassion. Psychol Stud 65, 381–393 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12646-020-00582-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12646-020-00582-8

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