Pre-Stressor Interference Control and Intrusive Memories
Open accessAbstract
Although intrusive imagery is a common response in the aftermath of a stressful or traumatic event, only a minority of trauma victims show persistent re-experiencing and related psychopathology. Individual differences in pre-trauma executive control possibly play a critical role. Therefore, this study investigated whether a relatively poor pre-stressor ability to resist proactive interference in working memory might increase risk for experiencing undesirable intrusive memories after being exposed to a stressful event. Non-clinical participants (N = 85) completed a modified version of a widely used test of interference control in working memory (CVLT; Kramer and Delis 1991) and subsequently watched an emotional film fragment. Following presentation of the fragment, intrusive memories were recorded in a 1-week diary and at a follow up session 7 days later. A relatively poor ability to resist proactive interference was related to a relatively high frequency of film-related intrusive memories. This relationship was independent of neuroticism and gender. These findings are consistent with the idea that a pre-morbid deficit in the ability to resist proactive interference reflects a vulnerability factor for experiencing intrusive memories after trauma exposure.
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- Authors
- Verwoerd, J., Wessel, I., de Jong, P. J., Nieuwenhuis, M. M. W., & Huntjens, R. J. C.
- Affiliations
- University of Groningen (NL)
- Corresponding author
- Verwoerd, Johan
- Venue
- Cognitive Therapy and Research
- Published
- 2010-10-19
- Volume
- 35
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 161-170
- ISSN
- 0147-5916 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-2819
- PMC
- PMC3063881
- OpenAlex
- W2157510218
- Cited by
- 35
- References
- 45
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 3 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 4 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 1 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 1.75
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by-nc
- Locations
- Cognitive Therapy and Research (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- Funders
- Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (451-05-018)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Identity, Memory, and Therapy
- Keywords
- intrusive memories, proactive interference, executive function, working memory, trauma exposure, re-experiencing, vulnerability factors, neuroticism, gender differences
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