Partners’ personality traits and anger styles as mediators in the relationship between borderline personality traits and sexual self-schema

Aims: This study aims to examine the mediating role of anger styles and personality traits in the relationship between borderline personality traits and sexual self-schemas exhibited by individuals. Methods: In this study, 402 participants aged 18 and older (249 women and 153 men) completed the socio-demographic information form, the borderline personality scale, the sexual self-schema scale, and the state-trait anger expression inventory. The research employed the relational screening model. Statistical analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS 27 software. Results: According to the findings of the study, borderline personality traits were found to be negatively associated with loving/compassionate, sensual/stimulating, and direct/straightforward sexual self-schemas. There is a significant negative correlation between all sexual self-schemas and trait anger, including anger-in and anger-out behaviors. Similarly, a significant negative correlation was found between sexual self-schemas and borderline personality traits. On the other hand, there was a negative correlation between neuroticism, one of the five-factor personality traits, and sexual self-schemas, and a positive correlation between neuroticism and borderline personality traits. Furthermore, mediation analyses suggested that anger styles may function as a possible mechanism in the relationship between borderline personality traits and sexual self-schemas. Neuroticism was also identified as a potential mechanism in this relationship. Conclusion: Based on the findings from this study, borderline personality traits appear to be associated with lower levels of loving/compassionate, sensual/stimulating, and direct/straightforward sexual self-schemas. Anger styles and neuroticism, one of the five-factor personality traits, were also found to be potential mechanisms explaining this relationship.