Effects of experimentally induced dissociation on attention and memory

► Gazing at one’s own face in the mirror reliably induces a dissociative reaction. ► Dissociation adversely affects several aspects of attention and memory. ► The effects of dissociation are greater on digit span than on spatial span. ► The results are highly relevant to the interviewing of traumati...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Consciousness and cognition 2013-03, Vol.22 (1), p.315-323
Main Authors: Brewin, Chris R., Ma, Belinda Y.T., Colson, Jessica
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis of Variance
Attention
Biological and medical sciences
Cognition & reasoning
Dissociation
Dissociative Disorders - complications
Dissociative Disorders - psychology
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Human
Humans
Learning. Memory
Male
Memory
Mental Recall
Models, Psychological
Post traumatic stress disorder
Psychological Theory
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Self Concept
Space Perception
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - etiology
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - psychology
Survivors - psychology
Time
Time Perception
Trauma
Young Adult
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Summary:► Gazing at one’s own face in the mirror reliably induces a dissociative reaction. ► Dissociation adversely affects several aspects of attention and memory. ► The effects of dissociation are greater on digit span than on spatial span. ► The results are highly relevant to the interviewing of traumatized individuals. Dissociation is an important aspect of responses to traumatic events. According to a number of influential theories, it negatively impacts cognitive performance including encoding of the trauma memories, leading to an increased risk of later conditions such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We tested this hypothesis experimentally in two studies by inducing dissociation in the laboratory and investigating the effects on several aspects of cognition, including time estimation, digit and spatial span, and story recall. Dissociation was related to decrements in time estimation, digit span, and story retention, but did not affect perceptual attention, spatial span, or immediate story recall. The results are discussed in the context of theoretical models of PTSD and their implications for official questioning of traumatized individuals such as sexual assault survivors.
ISSN:1053-8100
1090-2376
DOI:10.1016/j.concog.2012.08.005