| Test: | Borderline Personality Inventory, BPI |
| Link: | persistent link: https://psytests.org/result?v=pbqi10N1ce |
BPD Cut-20 | ||
3 | ||
[ not BPD ] | ||
Identity Diffusion | 2 | |
Primitive Defenses | 1 | |
Impaired Reality Testing | 2 | |
Fear of Fusion | 2 |
Total Score | ||
8 | ||
On the basis of three structural criteria, Kernberg (1984) distinguished among three levels of personality organization: neurotic, borderline, and psychotic. A borderline personality organization differs from a neurotic personality organization by identity diffusion and the predominant use of primitive defense mechanisms (e.g., splitting, projective identification). A borderline personality organization can be discriminated from a psychotic personality organization by the reality testing function, which is relatively intact in borderline patients. The BPI contains scales for assessing identity diffusion, primitive defense mechanisms, and impaired reality testing. Another scale refers to the fear of closeness (fear of fusion).
The 20 most discriminatory items are used to make a cutoff score (Cut-20). It is not based on factors, and therefore it also includes some items of the four scales. Cut-20 has no theoretical meaning; it is just an empirically yielded score. According to the author, Cut-20 ≥ 10 can be recommended as a cutoff point.