Ongoing Projects
Linking Neural Self–Other Distinction to Everyday Social Experience in Borderline Personality Disorder: A Planned fMRI–EMA Study
The ability to distinguish one’s own mental states from those of others, termed self–other distinction (SOD), is central to adaptive social functioning. Impairments in SOD have been proposed as a key mechanism underlying interpersonal difficulties in borderline personality disorder (BPD). While laboratory and neuroimaging studies implicate the right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ) in SOD, little is known about how neural and behavioral indices of SOD relate to momentary experiences in everyday life, particularly in individuals with BPD. We are currently planning a multimethod study combining functional MRI, behavioral SOD tasks, and ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to
- investigate neural mechanisms of SOD impairments in BPD and across the personality pathology spectrum, and
- link laboratory-based markers of SOD to real-life social experiences.
We particularly aim to examine how individual differences in momentary SOD in daily life relate to neural activity and connectivity. Female participants with BPD, healthy controls, and a community sample varying in personality pathology will complete an fMRI session including three SOD tasks and resting-state scans. Subsequently, participants will undergo one week of EMA assessing momentary SOD, affect, stress, and social context using smartphone prompts. This study aims to enhance the ecological validity of neurocognitive models of SOD by linking brain processes to everyday social functioning. As this work is currently in the planning phase, we welcome feedback from the community.
Current Status: Planning.
Media and Collaboration Requests: Please forward all inquiries to ekaterina.pronizius(at)univie.ac.at
Self-Other Distinction in Individuals with BPD
Self-other distinction (SOD) refers to the ability to disentangle self-related from other-related mental representations. According to a theoretical framework, individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) exhibit impaired self-other distinction (De Meulemeester et al., 2021). The main aim of this preregistered study is to test the theoretical assumption that SOD impairment is more pronounced in individuals with BPD compared to healthy individuals. This study builds on our previous work conducted with healthy participants (Pronizius et al., 2022).
Current Status: Data collection has been completed. We are working on the data analysis and manuscript writing.
Media and Collaboration Requests: Please forward all inquiries to ekaterina.pronizius(at)univie.ac.at
Self-Other Distinction Self-Report Questionnaire (SOD-SRQ)
Individual differences in SOD capacities have been observed in various psychiatric disorders and are empirically evidenced using experimental paradigms that induce egocentric and altercentric biases. To develop a more practical and ecological measure of SOD, we—a multicentric international team investigating SOD in borderline personality disorder—created a self-report questionnaire (SOD-SRQ) to capture everyday life manifestations of SOD. The items range from well-functioning SOD to clinically dysfunctional SOD.
To measure distinct components of SOD, the SOD-SRQ includes several subscales. The main four subscales are based on the intersection of two factors: the direction of self-other influence (self-to-other vs. other-to-self) and the domain of influence (emotional vs. cognitive). A fifth subscale measures self-other awareness, which assesses awareness (or confusion) about the difference between one’s own and others’ mental states.
Current Status: Data analysis and manuscript writing in English and Dutch, and preparation for survey validation in the German-speaking sample. See our preregistration for more details.
Media and Collaboration Requests: Please forward all inquiries to ekaterina.pronizius(at)univie.ac.at.
Translation into Other Languages: Survey validation in other languages will be conducted after the final, shorter set of items and the factor structure, based on the English version, are finalized. If you would like to translate the SOD-SRQ into your language, we will notify you once the shortened English version is ready. Researchers interested in translating the survey will be asked to submit a short research proposal, including the expected timeline and any additional measures they intend to use.
