Protecting the Mind? How Inhibitory Control and Emotional Distress Relate to Intrusive Memories After Trauma Analogue Exposure
Year: 2024
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Intrusive memories are a chief complaint after trauma exposure and a hallmark symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder. Using a well-established trauma-film paradigm, the present study sought to investigate the role of inhibitory control ability and emotional distress as predictors of memory intrusion frequency. A nonclinical sample was recruited for participation in a trauma analogue exposure experiment wherein they completed a series of inhibitory control tasks, watched a series of film scenes, and reported their subsequent memory intrusions for a week. On the final day, they reported their level of emotional distress on the Impact of Event Scale. Contrary to the first hypothesis, inhibitory control did not predict the frequency of intrusive memories, however critical insights into the translational effects of inhibitory control tasks to naturalistic settings are offered. Contrary to the second hypothesis, emotional distress did not predict the frequency of intrusive memories. However, exploratory analyses revealed that an increase in the intrusion and hyperarousal subscale ratings of the Impact of Event Scale did result in an increase in memory intrusion frequency. Implications for future research are discussed.
Author: Miller, Lindsey
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7005372649