title: Pre-Stressor Interference Control and Intrusive Memories.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Groningen, Grote Kruisstraat 2-1, 9712 TS Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Verwoerd
authors.forename: Ineke
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wessel
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: de Jong
authors.forename: Maurice M W
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Nieuwenhuis
authors.forename: Rafaele J C
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Huntjens