Trigger warnings and resilience in college students: A preregistered replication and extension

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Trigger warnings (TWs) are used to alert individuals to potentially distressing content.
• Previous research suggested TWs may increase perceived emotional vulnerability and anxiety, particularly for those who believe words can harm.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a preregistered replication of Bellet et al. (2018) study on trigger warnings.
• To examine the effects of trigger warnings on anxiety and perceived vulnerability in a college student sample.
• To utilize Bayesian statistics for robust replication analysis.

Main Methods:

• Replication of a 2018 study involving college students.
• Use of Bayesian statistical methods to assess replication success.
• Assessment of trigger warning effects on anxiety and perceived vulnerability.

Main Results:

• Strong evidence indicated that previously significant effects of trigger warnings did not replicate.
• Substantial evidence supported a small, genuine main effect of trigger warnings increasing anxiety responses.
• No significant replication of increased perceived emotional vulnerability was found.

Conclusions:

• The original findings regarding trigger warnings' impact on emotional vulnerability and anxiety were not replicated in this college student sample.
• A small but genuine effect of trigger warnings on increasing anxiety was identified.
• Further research is needed to understand the nuanced effects of trigger warnings on psychological responses.