Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the moderating effect of emotion dysregulation on the relationship between behavioral activation/inhibition system (BAS/BIS) and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) experience or borderline personality trait in early adulthood. A total of 415 Korean adults completed the following questionnaires: Personality Assessment Inventory- Borderline Features Scale, Inventory of Statement About Self-Injury, Korean BAS/BIS Scale, and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. The findings of the study are as follows. First, borderline personality trait and NSSI experience each were positively correlated with BAS/BIS and emotion dysregulation. Second, borderline personality trait and NSSI experience demonstrated a significant positive correlation. Last, the results of hierarchical regression analysis indicated that emotion dysregulation had a significant moderating effect on the relationship between BAS and borderline personality trait, and also on the relationship between BIS and NSSI experience. The implications and limitations of this study are discussed and suggestions for further research were proposed.