Fig. 3

a, b: Changes in self-esteem in relation to the preceding self-esteem rating across groups. a Decreases in self-esteem by bin, i.e. by momentary self-esteem starting state. b Increases in self-esteem by bin, i.e. by momentary self-esteem starting state. *** p < .001, ** p < .01, * p < .05, n.s. = no significant difference (p > .05); p-values are adjusted using the Bonferroni-Holmes correction; crosshatched bars: the small number of participants (< 1/3 of the group) restricts the reliability of the data; thus, the significance tests were not interpreted. We only report comparisons of the BPD-REM group with the BPD-ACU and the HC group, since the comparison of the BPD-ACU and the HC groups have been reported elsewhere [18]