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Related Experiment Video

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Use of a Psychophysiological Script-driven Imagery Experiment to Study Trauma-related Dissociation in Borderline Personality Disorder

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To dissociate or suppress? Predicting automatic vs. conscious cognitive avoidance.

Melanie D Hetzel-Riggin¹, Emily L Wilber

¹Department of Psychology, Western Illinois University, Macomb, Illinois 61455, USA. MD-Hetzel@wiu.edu

Journal of Trauma & Dissociation : the Official Journal of the International Society for the Study of Dissociation (ISSD)

|October 13, 2010

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This study found that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and anger predict thought suppression after sexual assault. Peritraumatic dissociation is linked to PTSD symptoms and physiological arousal, suggesting different avoidance mechanisms.

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Published on: May 9, 2019

Area of Science:

Psychology
Trauma Studies
Neuroscience

Background:

Cognitive avoidance is a common response to sexual assault and trauma reminders.
Research on predictors of automatic and conscious cognitive avoidance is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

To examine predictors of peritraumatic dissociation and thought suppression in female sexual assault victims.
To investigate the role of PTSD and depression symptoms, physiological, and emotional responses.

Main Methods:

86 female sexual assault victims participated.
Assessed PTSD and depression symptoms.
Measured emotional and physiological responses to a personalized sexual assault narrative.

Main Results:

PTSD symptoms and self-reported anger predicted thought suppression.
Peritraumatic dissociation was predicted by PTSD symptoms, skin conductance changes, and self-reported arousal.
Heart rate did not predict cognitive avoidance.

Conclusions:

Peritraumatic dissociation and thought suppression are linked to distinct physiological and emotional responses.
These findings suggest different memory systems may underlie these cognitive avoidance strategies.
Further research is needed to explore these distinctions.