The Influence of Trauma Type on the Relationship Between Peritraumatic Dissociation and Event Centrality
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Khristina Bayless, Kaysn Irby, Rebekah Marcengill, Rain Sopha, Emily Ineson, Annaliese Weiss
An individual's well-being can be shaped by experiencing traumatic events, and how the person experiences, perceives, and remembers the trauma are important factors. We examine two specific factors, Peritraumatic Dissociation and Event Centrality. Peritraumatic Dissociation is a reaction to traumatic events consistent with feelings of being on autopilot and/or disconnecting from reality during and immediately after the event (Candel & Merckelbach, 2004). Event Centrality is the degree to which a person views an event as central to their identity, as a turning point in their life story, and as a reference point for other life events (Berntsen & Rubin, 2006). Previous research indicates that the more a person dissociates during and immediately after a traumatic event, the less they perceive the event as central to their identity (Smeets et al., 2010; Robinaugh & McNally, 2011; Gehrt et al., 2018; Candel & Merckelbach, 2004). Previous research also indicates that this correlation is stronger in combat veterans (Brown et. Al., 2010) and weaker in undergraduate students (Boals, 2010). To our knowledge, no previous studies have examined this correlation across types of trauma exposure. In our presentation, we will address this gap in the literature and discuss any future implications of our findings.
Khristina Bayless is a senior psychology major and human services minor from Alexandria, VA. She has an Associate of Arts degree from Piedmont Technical College. She is currently a Research Assistant in Dr. Southard-Dobbs's Stress and Cognition lab.
Kaysn Irby is a junior psychology major from Greenwood, South Carolina. She is a double minor in child and family studies and in human services. She is an undergraduate research assistant in Dr. Southard-Dobbs's Stress and Cognition Lab.
Rebekah Marcengill is a senior psychology major and art minor from Greenwood, S.C. She is a Research Assistant in the Stress and Cognition lab led by Dr. Southard-Dobbs. She is also a Supplemental Instructor for Psychology 101.
Rain Sopha is a sophomore psychology major and honors student from Irmo, South Carolina with minors in general studio art and human services. Rain is an undergraduate research assistant in Dr. Southard-Dobbs's Stress and Cognition lab and aspires to be an art therapist and Liscenced Professional Counselor.
Emily Ineson is a senior psychology major from London, England and is a research assistant in Dr. Southard-Dobbs's Stress and Cognition Lab. While at Lander University, she has been a member of the Psi Chi Honor Society, a Supplemental Instructor and Tutor for psychology courses, and an athlete on the women’s tennis team. In Fall 2023 she begins her Ph.D. in Psychological Science at University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
Annaliese Weiss is a sophomore majoring in criminology and psychology from Clemson, SC. She plans to obtain a masters degree in forensic psychology after graduating and is currently an undergraduate research assistant in Dr. Southard-Dobbs's Stress and Cognition Lab.