Autobiographical memory for stressful events: the role of autobiographical memory in posttraumatic stress disorder.
Abstract
To provide the three-way comparisons needed to test existing theories, we compared
(1) most-stressful memories to other memories and (2) involuntary to voluntary memories
(3) in 75 community dwelling adults with and 42 without a current diagnosis of posttraumatic
stress disorder (PTSD). Each rated their three most-stressful, three most-positive,
seven most-important and 15 word-cued autobiographical memories, and completed tests
of personality and mood. Involuntary memories were then recorded and rated as they
occurred for 2 weeks. Standard mechanisms of cognition and affect applied to extreme
events accounted for the properties of stressful memories. Involuntary memories had
greater emotional intensity than voluntary memories, but were not more frequently
related to traumatic events. The emotional intensity, rehearsal, and centrality to
the life story of both voluntary and involuntary memories, rather than incoherence
of voluntary traumatic memories and enhanced availability of involuntary traumatic
memories, were the properties of autobiographical memories associated with PTSD.
Type
Journal articleSubject
Case-Control StudiesCues
Female
Humans
Life Change Events
Male
Memory, Episodic
Middle Aged
Models, Psychological
Personality Inventory
Psychological Tests
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
Surveys and Questionnaires
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https://hdl.handle.net/10161/9774Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1016/j.concog.2011.03.015Publication Info
Rubin, David C; Dennis, Michelle F; & Beckham, Jean C (2011). Autobiographical memory for stressful events: the role of autobiographical memory
in posttraumatic stress disorder. Conscious Cogn, 20(3). pp. 840-856. 10.1016/j.concog.2011.03.015. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/9774.This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this
article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
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Show full item recordScholars@Duke
Jean Crowell Beckham
Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Interest in assessment and treatment of trauma, particularly as occurs for both women
and men during military service; focus in treatment outcome of differential and collective
contribution for psychopharmacological and behavioral interventions in PTSD populations;
long term physical health effects of chronic posttraumatic stress disorder.
David C. Rubin
Juanita M. Kreps Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience
For .pdfs of all publications click here My main research interest has been in long-term
memory, especially for complex (or "real-world") stimuli. This work includes the study
of autobiographical memory and oral traditions, as w
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