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Related Concept Videos

Traumatic Memory01:20

Traumatic Memory

Emotionally traumatic events often lead to memories that are exceptionally vivid and enduring, sometimes persisting with remarkable clarity throughout an individual's life. A classic example of this phenomenon is a person who survives a car accident. Even years later, they may recall every detail of the event with startling accuracy — the screeching of the tires, the jarring impact, and the acrid smell of burning rubber. Such vividness contrasts sharply with how an individual remembers mundane...
Repressed Memory01:16

Repressed Memory

Repressed memories are a psychological phenomenon where memories of traumatic events are unconsciously blocked from a person's awareness. This process occurs as a defense mechanism, protecting the mind from the emotional impact of distressing or painful experiences. For example, a person who has experienced childhood trauma may grow up with no conscious recollection of the event. In such cases, the memories are thought to be buried deep within the subconscious, inaccessible to the conscious...
Dissociative Amnesia01:21

Dissociative Amnesia

Dissociative amnesia is a complex psychological condition that manifests as an inability to recall personal information, often tied to traumatic or stressful events. Unlike general amnesia, individuals with this condition retain the ability to perform routine activities and procedural tasks, such as operating a phone or navigating public transportation, yet experience profound gaps in autobiographical memory. These lapses may encompass significant life events, such as suicide attempts or...
Interference and Decay01:16

Interference and Decay

Forgetting is a complex cognitive phenomenon influenced by several factors, among which interference and decay are particularly prominent. These processes explain why individuals often struggle to retrieve specific information from memory, leading to lapses in recall that can be observed in everyday situations.
Interference occurs when competing memories hinder the retrieval of particular information. It can be classified into two types: proactive and retroactive interference. Proactive...
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder01:27

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition that arises following exposure to traumatic events such as natural disasters, forced displacement, or severe accidents. It significantly impairs individuals' ability to cope with daily activities and disrupts their emotional and psychological equilibrium.
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events, are a...
Dissociative Disorders01:27

Dissociative Disorders

Dissociative disorders represent complex psychological conditions characterized by disruptions in consciousness, memory, identity, or perception. These disruptions cause individuals to experience a disconnection from their thoughts, emotions, and memories. The phenomenon is not merely an occasional lapse in attention but a profound alteration in mental functioning that can severely impact daily life.
Dissociative Fugue
A hallmark feature of dissociative disorders is the dissociative fugue...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 26, 2026

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions
10:38

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions

Published on: July 16, 2015

Visuospatial working memory interference with recollections of trauma.

Steven A Lilley1, Jackie Andrade, Graham Turpin

  • 1Clinical Psychology Unit, Department of Psychology, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK. steve.lilley@nottshc.nhs.uk

The British Journal of Clinical Psychology
|February 4, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Eye-movements reduced the vividness and emotionality of trauma images temporarily. This finding suggests that concurrent tasks may aid in managing distress from trauma recollections.

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Working memory research indicates modality-specific reductions in image vividness and emotionality during concurrent tasks.
  • This study extends these findings to clinical populations experiencing post-traumatic stress symptoms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effect of concurrent tasks on the vividness and emotionality of trauma images in individuals awaiting post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment.
  • To determine if modality-matched concurrent tasks can temporarily reduce distress associated with trauma memory recall.

Main Methods:

  • A within-subjects design was employed with 18 participants recalling distressing trauma images.
  • Participants performed concurrent tasks: side-to-side eye-movements, counting, or no concurrent task (exposure only).
  • Image vividness and emotionality were rated during recall and at a 1-week follow-up.

Main Results:

  • The eye-movement task significantly reduced the vividness and emotionality of trauma images compared to counting and exposure only.
  • These effects were observed only during the imagery period and not at the 1-week follow-up.
  • The trauma images were predominantly visual in nature.

Conclusions:

  • Concurrent tasks, particularly those matched to the sensory modality of the trauma images (e.g., visual tasks for visual images), can temporarily dampen emotional responses.
  • This approach may serve as a potential therapeutic aid for managing distress related to trauma memory recall in clinical settings.