MAINTENANCE OF INTRUSIVE MEMORIES IN AN UNSELECTED UNDERGRADUATE SAMPLE: THE ROLES OF COPING STRATEGIES, NEGATIVE APPRAISALS, AND PERCEPTIONS OF CONTROL

• Main Author: Aiello, Megan
• Format: Others
• Published: OpenSIUC 2013
• Subjects: control; coping; intrusive memories; negative appraisal
• Online Access: https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/theses/1263; https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2274&context=theses

Intrusive memories, coping strategies, negative appraisals, and perceptions of control were examined in an unselected undergraduate sample. Intrusive memory frequency was positively associated with emotion-avoidant coping, but unrelated to problem-focused and emotion-approach coping. Negative appraisals and perceptions of control partially mediated the relationship between intrusive memory frequency and emotion-avoidant coping. PTSD symptoms contributed additional variance to the partial mediation models. Overall, study findings demonstrated that the intrusive memory maintenance cycle found in PTSD and depression samples can exist in an unselected sample. Individual differences within this sample may relate to varying levels of executive control and trait mindfulness. Implications for clinical practice, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.