Malevolent Object Representations in Borderline Personality Disorder and Major Depression

Joel T. Nigg, Naomi E. Lohr, Drew Westen, Laura J. Gold, Kenneth R. Silk

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle

78 Scopus citations


To study malevolent representations, earliest memories were reliably coded on scales of affect tone. Ss were diagnosed with borderline personality disorder: 31 without and 30 with concurrent major depression. Nonborderline comparison subjects had either major depressive disorder (n = 26) or no psychiatric diagnosis (n = 30). Borderline subjects were discriminated from comparison subjects by their more malevolent representations; they more frequently produced memories involving deliberate injury; and they portrayed potential helpers as less helpful. Results suggest the diagnostic significance of malevolent representations, which need to be explained by any theory of borderline personality disorder.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)61-67
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of Abnormal Psychology
Issue number1
StatePublished - Feb 1992


ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Psychiatry and Mental health
  • Biological Psychiatry

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