Shame-induced dissociation: An experimental study of experiential avoidance.

OBJECTIVE: The study experimentally investigated shame-induced dissociation, and to what extent that process was associated with exposure to childhood maltreatment. METHOD: Using a shame-related script-driven imagery paradigm and mirror-viewing task, 50 female participants from the community recalled two shame-related and two neutral autobiographical memories, after which they listened to recordings of themselves retelling the narratives looking in a mirror or at a black curtain (i.e., mirror-viewing task). RESULTS: Shame-related memories compared to neutral memories resulted in higher rates of dissociation. The relationship between shame and dissociation was significantly moderated by experiential avoidance or avoidance of unwanted cognitive and affective reactions. In contrast to previous research, looking in the mirror and childhood maltreatment severity did not predict dissociative responses. CONCLUSIONS: The strong relationship between shame and dissociation suggests the importance of monitoring patients' affect and behavior when revisiting shame-related memories, to not reinforce dissociative reactions and inadvertently foster treatment resistance. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Remembering President Barack Obama's inauguration and the landing of US Airways Flight 1549: a comparison of the predictors of autobiographical and event memory.

We examined and compared the predictors of autobiographical memory (AM) consistency and event memory accuracy across two publicly documented yet disparate public events: the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States on January 20th 2009, and the emergency landing of US Airways Flight 1549, off the coast of Manhattan, on January 15th 2009. We tracked autobiographical and event memories for both events, with assessments taking place within 2½ weeks of both events (Survey 1), and again between 3½ and 4 months after both events (Survey 2). In a series of stepwise regressions we found that the psychological variables of recalled emotional intensity and personal importance/centrality predicted AM consistency and event memory accuracy for the inauguration. Conversely, the rehearsal variables of covert rehearsal and media attention predicted, respectively, AM consistency and event memory accuracy for the plane landing. We conclude from these findings that different factors may underlie autobiographical and event memory for personally and culturally significant events (e.g., the inauguration), relative to noteworthy, yet less culturally significant, events (e.g., the plane landing).