Memory for complex emotional material in dissociative identity disorder.
Eleven women with dissociative identity disorder (DID) participated in an experiment that included a variety of memory measures. DID participants were faster than a group of 13 female students at producing autobiographical memories in response to cue words. DID participants had difficulty answering detailed questions about a story containing fear compared with a neutral story; the student group did not. The DID group reported experiencing significantly more childhood trauma than did the student group. Effect sizes were moderate to high. This preliminary study uses a broad conceptualization of memory functioning, combining ecologically valid testing with experimental paradigms and addressing the impact of emotion on memory in trauma survivors.
Psychology Department, Boise State University, 1910 University Drive, Boise, ID 83725-1715, USA. rosebarlow@boisestate.edu
M Rose
MR
Barlow
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D009105:Dissociative Identity Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors