The use of the International Affective Picture System for the study of affective dysregulation in mental disorders

Abstract

Introduction. The International Affective Picture System (IAPS) uses a series of emotional, normative and internationally accessible pictorial stimuli and is considered to be the most reliable and valid system in the experimental study of emotions. The IAPS has been used in research on mental disorders such as schizophrenia, major depression, anxiety or psychopathic personality traits. Furthermore, it is frequently used as independent variable in neuroimaging studies. Some of the approaches to borderline personality disorder consider that the fundamental psychopathological element in these subjects is affective dysregulation, from which the principal symptoms such as intolerance to frustration, reactivity or dysphoria are derived. This review paper has aimed to gather and analyze the information on the study of emotional regulation and the use of the IAPS in the different mental disorders.

Methods. A review is made of the different data bases of the studies published in the general population and in the clinical populations as well as of the internal characteristics of the test.

Results. In agreement with the results described in the studies reviewed, the IAPS seems capable of defining specific responses to stimuli in different mental disorders, including mood disorders and schizophrenia.

Conclusions. In conclusion, the use of the IAPS in the study of borderline personality disorder could be of interest for the understanding and treatment of borderline personality disorder in which emotional dysregulation is a principal factor.