Final answer:
Splitting is a psychological defense mechanism involving the inability to integrate the positive and negative attributes of the self or others, often associated with borderline personality disorder.
Step-by-step explanation:
The inability to integrate negative and positive attributes of the self or others is referred to as splitting. This is a defense mechanism where an individual views themselves or others as all good or all bad, lacking the ability to merge both positive and negative qualities into a cohesive whole. Splitting is often seen in borderline personality disorder, where a person may idealize someone at one moment and then completely devalue them the next, without recognizing the complexity of their qualities and actions.