Abstract
This investigation examined the moderating role of effortful control (EC) in the association between rejection sensitivity (RS) and its subsequent interpersonal distress (IP-distress) on borderline personality disorder (BPD) features. In total, 625 multicultural undergraduates (Study 1) and 562 community international adults (Study 2) completed scales evaluating EC, RS, IP-distress, and BPD features; Study 2 participants also self-reported both anxious and angry expectations of rejection. In both samples, EC moderated the mediating effect of IP-distress in the link between RS and BPD-related psychopathology. The extent to which RS was associated with BPD symptoms through increased IP-distress was greater for individuals with low EC and less so for those with high EC. Thus, low self-regulatory abilities may foster the association between RS and BPD by magnifying interpersonal distress. The implications and limitations of findings are discussed.