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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 15, 2026

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

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Three dimensions of dissociative amnesia.

¹Psychotherapy Resources of Norfolk, Norfolk, VA, USA. PFDell@aol.com

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

|January 4, 2013

Summary

This study identified three distinct amnesia factors within the Multidimensional Inventory of Dissociation (MID), offering improved clinical utility for diagnosing dissociative disorders.

Area of Science:

Psychology
Psychiatry
Clinical Psychology

Background:

Dissociative disorders are complex and often involve memory disturbances.
Existing diagnostic tools may not fully capture the nuances of dissociative amnesia.
The Multidimensional Inventory of Dissociation (MID) is a comprehensive measure of dissociative experiences.

Purpose of the Study:

To identify distinct amnesia factors within the MID using factor analysis.
To evaluate the clinical utility of these factors in differentiating dissociative disorders.
To compare the identified factors with existing classifications of amnesia.

Main Methods:

Principal axis factor analysis with promax rotation was applied to MID data (N = 2,569).
Three amnesia factors were extracted: Discovering Dissociated Actions, Lapses of Recent Memory and Skills, and Gaps in Remote Memory.

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Scale properties (Cronbach's alpha) and correlations with other measures (MID, DES, SCID-D-R) were examined.

Main Results:

Three reliable and valid amnesia factor scales were identified with high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha > .93).
The factors showed strong correlations with overall dissociation measures.
The factors demonstrated significant differences across various dissociative disorder groups and nonclinical participants, with SCID-D-R Amnesia scores emphasizing remote memory gaps.

Conclusions:

The three identified amnesia factors offer greater clinical utility than current DSM-IV or Janet's classifications for frontline clinicians.
These factors may provide a more nuanced understanding of amnesia in dissociative disorders.
Further research into the phenomenological differences of dissociative symptoms is recommended.