Personality Test Borderline Personality Disorder 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following is a hallmark feature of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)?
- Stable and consistent self-image
- Intense fear of abandonment and unstable relationships (Correct answer)
- Grandiose sense of entitlement
- Persistent elevated mood states
Correct answer: Intense fear of abandonment and unstable relationships
A pervasive fear of real or imagined abandonment, combined with unstable and intense interpersonal relationships, is the defining feature of BPD.
Question 2: The term 'splitting' in BPD refers to:
- Dissociation from traumatic memories
- Viewing people as entirely good or entirely bad with no middle ground (Correct answer)
- Physical self-harm behavior
- Personality fragmentation into multiple identities
Correct answer: Viewing people as entirely good or entirely bad with no middle ground
Splitting is the defense mechanism in BPD where individuals see others in extreme all-or-nothing terms — either idealized or completely devalued.
Question 3: Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) was specifically developed to treat:
- Schizophrenia spectrum disorders
- Borderline Personality Disorder (Correct answer)
- Bipolar I Disorder
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Correct answer: Borderline Personality Disorder
Marsha Linehan developed DBT specifically for BPD, integrating cognitive-behavioral techniques with acceptance strategies drawn from mindfulness.
Question 4: The DSM-5 requires how many of the nine BPD criteria for a diagnosis?
- 3 or more
- 5 or more (Correct answer)
- 7 or more
- All 9
Correct answer: 5 or more
A minimum of five of the nine DSM-5 criteria must be present and pervasive to meet a BPD diagnosis.
Question 5: Which neurotransmitter system dysfunction is most consistently implicated in the emotional dysregulation of BPD?
- Dopamine system only
- Serotonergic and HPA axis dysregulation (Correct answer)
- Acetylcholine system exclusively
- Histamine system
Correct answer: Serotonergic and HPA axis dysregulation
Research points to serotonergic dysregulation and HPA axis (stress response) abnormalities as key neurobiological contributors to BPD's emotional instability.
Question 6: Which of the following is NOT a module taught in standard DBT skills training?
- Mindfulness
- Interpersonal Effectiveness
- Cognitive Restructuring (Correct answer)
- Distress Tolerance
Correct answer: Cognitive Restructuring
Standard DBT skills include Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal Effectiveness — Cognitive Restructuring is a CBT technique not a DBT module.
Personality Test Borderline Personality Disorder 1
Which of the following is a hallmark feature of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)?