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Psychobiological research on Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID): A methodological note.

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Summary

Normal individuals can convincingly simulate dissociative identity disorder (DID) identity states, exhibiting distinct physiological profiles. This suggests psychobiological DID research requires fantasy-prone controls to avoid misinterpreting simulated alters.

Keywords:
amnesiadissociative identity disorderfantasy pronenesssimulationskin conductance

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Psychophysiology
  • Clinical Psychology

Background:

  • Discussions on dissociative identity disorder (DID) often debate whether identity states (alters) are metaphors or genuine.
  • Some studies suggest physiological differences between alters, leading to the conclusion they are more than metaphorical.
  • This research questions the interpretation of such findings.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To challenge the interpretation of psychobiological findings in dissociative identity disorder (DID).
  • To demonstrate that physiological differences can be simulated by non-clinical populations.
  • To highlight the need for specific control groups in DID research.

Main Methods:

  • An experimental design was employed to test the simulation hypothesis.
  • Normal subjects were instructed to simulate identity states (alters).
  • Physiological profiles associated with these simulated alters were measured, with a focus on fantasy proneness.

Main Results:

  • Normal subjects successfully simulated alters with distinct physiological profiles.
  • Fantasy-prone individuals showed a particular ability to simulate these physiological differences.
  • This indicates physiological variations may not exclusively point to genuine alters in DID.

Conclusions:

  • Psychobiological research on dissociative identity disorder (DID) must incorporate normal control groups.
  • Including fantasy-prone individuals as controls is crucial for accurate interpretation of alter-related psychophysiology.
  • Failure to use appropriate controls may lead to uninformative research findings regarding alter activity.