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Traumatic events and tonic immobility
Arturo Bados1, Lidia Toribio, Eugeni García-Grau
1Departamento de Personalidad, Evaluación y Tratamiento Psicológico, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Barcelona, Spain. abados@ub.edu
The Spanish Journal of Psychology
|November 8, 2008
Summary
Tonic immobility, a defense mechanism, was studied in university students. Findings suggest it occurs in various traumas, not just sexual abuse, with higher scores in direct abuse experiences.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Trauma Studies
- Defense Mechanisms
Background:
- Tonic immobility is a fundamental defense strategy with limited research in humans.
- Existing data suggest its prevalence in sexual abuse victims, but systematic exploration in other traumas is lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if tonic immobility varies based on the nature of experienced trauma.
- To explore the subjective definition of worst trauma and its relation to immobility.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective study involving 100 university students.
- Assessment of tonic immobility using the Tonic Immobility Scale.
- Evaluation of trauma types using the modified Traumatic Events Questionnaire.
Main Results:
- Seventy percent of students reported experiencing trauma.
- No significant differences in tonic immobility scores were found across different trauma types (e.g., physical abuse, accidents).
- Higher tonic immobility scores were observed in individuals with trauma from physical/psychological or sexual abuse compared to those experiencing indirect trauma.
Conclusions:
- Tonic immobility may be characteristic of directly experienced traumas beyond sexual abuse.
- Further research is needed to fully understand the nuances of tonic immobility in diverse traumatic experiences.
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