Trust and Borderline Personality features: direct trust appraisal and indirect trust learning

Objectives. Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) features are associated with interpersonal difficulties. In this research, we investigated trust impairments, a core BPD feature connected to impairments in interpersonal behavior. We first tested the relation between BPD features and trust appraisal, measured both directly and indirectly. In a second study, we assessed the connection between BPD features and implicit trust learning in terms of both face ratings and behavioral intentions. Methods. Two samples of undergraduate female students (S1: N = 125, M age = 22.13, SD = 2.69; S2: N = 126, M age = 22.58, SD = 2.28) completed the BPD Checklist. In S1, participants then rated a series of neutral faces in terms of direct appraisal of trust and completed a Gaze Cueing Procedure, assessing the facilitating effect of congruent gazes from neutral faces, i.e., the Gaze Cueing Effect. In S2, participants rated faces before and after a modified Gaze Cueing Procedure used as manipulation of trustworthiness (resulting in trustworthy vs. untrustworthy faces) and reported trust-related behavioral intentions toward them. Results. Consistent with previous results (e.g., Fertuck et al., 2013; Miano et al., 2013), higher BPD features were associated with lower ratings of trustworthiness (S1&2) but not with the Gaze Cueing Effect (Saunders et al. 2015). In S2, the trust manipulation was effective such that untrustworthy faces received lower direct trust appraisal. There was no change in behavioral intentions and this effect was not associated with BPD features. Conclusions. Higher BPD features are associated with greater direct untrust appraisal of faces (initial trust rating task) but not with indirect trust appraisal (Gaze Cueing Effect) nor implicit trust learning (ratings and behavioral intentions after trust manipulation). In conclusion, in a non-clinical sample, higher BPD features do not impair trust learning but affect trust appraisal.