Effects of experimentally induced dissociation on attention and memory
Abstract
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.
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A growing body of evidence points towards a relation between dissociative symptoms, including altered states of consciousness and identity fragmentation, and cognitive dysfunction in trauma-related psychiatric conditions.
“A growing body of evidence points towards a relation between dissociative symptoms, including altered states of consciousness and identity fragmentation, and cognitive dysfunction in traumarelated psychiatric conditions.”
From A review of the relation between dissociation, memory, executive functioning and social cognition in military members and civilians with neuropsychiatric conditions (2016) · cites this paper as Brewin et al., 2013
Both chronic dissociation and state dissociation have been associated with reduced performance on measures of attention, executive functioning, and memory.
“Both chronic dissociation and state dissociation have been associated with reduced performance on measures of attention, executive functioning, and memory (Amrhein et al., 2008;Brewin et al., 2013;Bruce et al., 2007;Giesbrecht et al., 2004;Olsen and Beck, 2012).”
From A review of the relation between dissociation, memory, executive functioning and social cognition in military members and civilians with neuropsychiatric conditions (2016) · cites this paper as Brewin et al., 2013
In healthy controls with induced state dissociation via mirror-gazing, higher levels of dissociation were associated with a shorter digit span (working memory).
“higher levels of dissociation were associated with a shorter digit span (working memory) and greater deterioration in story recall following a delay (Brewin et al., 2013).”
From A review of the relation between dissociation, memory, executive functioning and social cognition in military members and civilians with neuropsychiatric conditions (2016) · cites this paper as Brewin et al., 2013
In healthy controls with induced state dissociation via mirror-gazing, higher levels of dissociation were associated with greater deterioration in story recall following a delay.
“greater deterioration in story recall following a delay (Brewin et al., 2013).”
From A review of the relation between dissociation, memory, executive functioning and social cognition in military members and civilians with neuropsychiatric conditions (2016) · cites this paper as Brewin et al., 2013
Evidence links heightened dissociative symptoms to reduced performance on measures assessing a broad range of cognitive functions including executive functioning, attention, working memory, immediate and delayed verbal and visual memory, autobiographical memory, and episodic memory among controls and in trauma-related psychiatric populations.
“evidence linking heightened dissociative symptoms to reduced performance on measures assessing a broad range of cognitive functions including executive functioning, attention, working memory, immediate and delayed verbal and visual memory, autobiographical memory, and episodic memory has been reported among controls and in trauma-related psychiatric populations (Amrhein et al., 2008;Brewin et al.,”
From A review of the relation between dissociation, memory, executive functioning and social cognition in military members and civilians with neuropsychiatric conditions (2016) · cites this paper as Brewin et al., 2013
Inducing dissociation in the laboratory impairs several aspects of memory.
“More recent experimental studies have confirmed that inducing dissociation in the laboratory does appear to impair several aspects of memory (Brewin, Ma, & Colson, 2013; Brewin & Mersaditabari, 2013).”
From Episodic memory, perceptual memory, and their interaction: Foundations for a theory of posttraumatic stress disorder. (2014) · cites this paper as Brewin, Ma, & Colson, 2013
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References 50 · Cited by 55
- Authors
- Brewin, C. R., Ma, B. Y. T., & Colson, J.
- Affiliations
- University College London (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Brewin, Chris R.
- ORCID
- Brewin, Chris R.
- Venue
- Consciousness and Cognition
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2013-03
- Volume
- 22
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 315-323
- ISSN
- 1053-8100 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2033847072
- Cited by
- 55
- References
- 50
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 3
- FWCI
- 3.27
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Consciousness and Cognition (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
- Keywords
- dissociation, post-traumatic stress disorder, attention, memory, time estimation, digit span, spatial span, story recall, sexual assault survivors, traumatic events
- MeSH terms
- Analysis of Variance, Attention, Dissociative Disorders, Female, Humans, Male, Memory, Models, Psychological, Psychological Theory, Mental Recall, Self Concept, Space Perception, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Time Perception, Survivors, Young Adult
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