Effects of vulnerable personality traits of PTSD, working memory abilities and peritraumatic cognitive processing on analogue traumatic flashbacks

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1041.2022.00168

Abstract

Abstract:

Based on the paradigm of analogue trauma, this study aimed to examine the effects of vulnerable personality traits of PTSD (trait anxiety, trait dissociation and neuroticism), working memory abilities (attentional control and working memory capacity) and peritraumatic cognitive processing (data-driven processing and conceptual processing) on flashbacks in different periods after analogue trauma. Road traffic accidents films were applied as analogue trauma in 159 healthy college students. Structural equation model (SEM) was used for data analyses. Results showed that: (1) data-driven processing positively predicted the number, vividness, distress level of all three kinds of flashbacks in different periods (i.e., immediate, one-week and triggered) and one-week frequency of intrusion; (2) neuroticism positively predicted distress level of triggered flashback, while attentional control and working memory capacity negatively predicted one-week frequency of intrusion; (3) conceptual processing played a mediating role between attentional control and distress level of immediate flashback. These findings suggest that data-driven processing is the main factor influencing flashbacks in different periods after trauma; conceptual processing mainly affects the early acute stress response, while attentional control functions as a protective factor; neuroticism and working memory ability have long-term effects on flashback, and working memory ability serves as a protective factor.

Key words: analogue trauma, flashback (intrusive imagery), personality trait, working memory ability, peritraumatic cognitive processing

WANG Ming, SUN Qiwu, LIU Jing, REN Zhihong, JIANG Guangrong. (2022). Effects of vulnerable personality traits of PTSD, working memory abilities and peritraumatic cognitive processing on analogue traumatic flashbacks. Acta Psychologica Sinica, 54(2), 168-181.

Figures/Tables 5

References 66

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Variable	M ± SD or Md ^b	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
1. TA	34.75 ± 7.51	1
2. TD^a	34	0.42^***	1
3. TN^a	3	0.50^***	0.34^***	1
4. AC	56.37 ± 7.97	-0.61^***	-0.30^***	-0.39^***	1
5. WMC^a	18	-0.01	0.08	-0.02	0.14	1
6. CP	9.60 ± 3.12	-0.33^***	-0.18^*	-0.22^**	0.35^***	0.14	1
7. DDP	5.77 ± 2.84	-0.13	0.09	0.13	0.07	0.03	0.15	1
8. FN-5^a	3	-0.13	-0.01	-0.06	0.00	-0.10	-0.04	0.32^***	1
9. FV-5^a	6	-0.15	-0.05	0.03	0.01	-0.12	0.12	0.53^***	0.48^***	1
10. FD-5	3.99 ± 2.64	-0.05	-0.02	0.17^*	-0.05	-0.13	-0.10	0.51^***	0.55^***	0.77^***	1
11. FN-W^a	9	-0.16^*	-0.02	-0.05	0.01	-0.04	0.05	0.26^**	0.44^***	0.28^***	0.23^**	1
12. FV-W	3.69 ± 2.05	-0.05	-0.00	0.05	-0.03	-0.02	0.01	0.32^***	0.18^*	0.41^***	0.39^***	0.23^**	1
13. FD-W^a	2	-0.07	0.03	0.13	-0.05	-0.04	-0.07	0.41^***	0.25^**	0.39^***	0.52^***	0.29^***	0.75^***	1
14. FN-T^a	3	0.04	-0.02	0.05	-0.02	0.04	0.03	0.26^**	0.19^*	0.14	0.23^**	0.32^***	0.20^*	0.23^**	1
15. FV-T^a	4	0.14	0.07	0.11	-0.08	-0.06	-0.08	0.33^***	0.20^*	0.25^**	0.32^***	0.25^**	0.41^***	0.38^***	0.65^***	1
16. FD-T^a	2	0.16^*	0.08	0.25^**	-0.12	-0.04	-0.12	0.38^***	0.16^*	0.32^***	0.44^***	0.20^*	0.40^***	0.47^***	0.62^***	0.79^***	1
17. IN	7.43 ± 4.47	0.09	0.11	0.16^*	-0.17^*	-0.15	-0.07	0.40^***	0.36^***	0.33^***	0.41^***	0.49^***	0.35^***	0.48^***	0.39^***	0.44^***	0.47^***

Variable	M ± SD or Md ^b	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
1. TA	34.75 ± 7.51	1
2. TD^a	34	0.42^***	1
3. TN^a	3	0.50^***	0.34^***	1
4. AC	56.37 ± 7.97	-0.61^***	-0.30^***	-0.39^***	1
5. WMC^a	18	-0.01	0.08	-0.02	0.14	1
6. CP	9.60 ± 3.12	-0.33^***	-0.18^*	-0.22^**	0.35^***	0.14	1
7. DDP	5.77 ± 2.84	-0.13	0.09	0.13	0.07	0.03	0.15	1
8. FN-5^a	3	-0.13	-0.01	-0.06	0.00	-0.10	-0.04	0.32^***	1
9. FV-5^a	6	-0.15	-0.05	0.03	0.01	-0.12	0.12	0.53^***	0.48^***	1
10. FD-5	3.99 ± 2.64	-0.05	-0.02	0.17^*	-0.05	-0.13	-0.10	0.51^***	0.55^***	0.77^***	1
11. FN-W^a	9	-0.16^*	-0.02	-0.05	0.01	-0.04	0.05	0.26^**	0.44^***	0.28^***	0.23^**	1
12. FV-W	3.69 ± 2.05	-0.05	-0.00	0.05	-0.03	-0.02	0.01	0.32^***	0.18^*	0.41^***	0.39^***	0.23^**	1
13. FD-W^a	2	-0.07	0.03	0.13	-0.05	-0.04	-0.07	0.41^***	0.25^**	0.39^***	0.52^***	0.29^***	0.75^***	1
14. FN-T^a	3	0.04	-0.02	0.05	-0.02	0.04	0.03	0.26^**	0.19^*	0.14	0.23^**	0.32^***	0.20^*	0.23^**	1
15. FV-T^a	4	0.14	0.07	0.11	-0.08	-0.06	-0.08	0.33^***	0.20^*	0.25^**	0.32^***	0.25^**	0.41^***	0.38^***	0.65^***	1
16. FD-T^a	2	0.16^*	0.08	0.25^**	-0.12	-0.04	-0.12	0.38^***	0.16^*	0.32^***	0.44^***	0.20^*	0.40^***	0.47^***	0.62^***	0.79^***	1
17. IN	7.43 ± 4.47	0.09	0.11	0.16^*	-0.17^*	-0.15	-0.07	0.40^***	0.36^***	0.33^***	0.41^***	0.49^***	0.35^***	0.48^***	0.39^***	0.44^***	0.47^***