Using Virtual Reality to Study Emotional Sensitivity in Borderline Personality Disorder

In a previous study (Lynch, Rosenthal et al., 2006), we found that individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) were faster to accurately identify black and white facial expressions of emotion as they morphed on a computer monitor from neutral to extreme. This finding is consistent with the theory of BPD outlined by Linehan (1993), which suggest that BPD may be characterized by heightened sensitivity to environmental stimuli. As a follow-up to our previous work, in the present study we are developing a novel measure of emotional sensitivity that uses virtual environments modeled after real world situations, in order to assess how quickly individuals with BPD and other disorders are able to correctly identify emotions in others.