Effects of experimentally induced dissociation on attention and memory

• 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
• ISSN: 1053-8100; 1090-2376
• DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2012.08.005

► 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.