| Abstract: | Summary Cognitive science approaches can inform research in traumatic stress studies by articulating separate scientific issues that may be relevant to understanding alterations in memory and awareness for trauma. This article will first address general issues about disrupted memory and “knowledge isolation” for trauma, as well as introduce specific aspects of “betrayal trauma theory” (Freyd 1994, 1996) that inform our understanding of memory impairment. According to betrayal trauma theory, a potent motivation for knowledge isolation (including amnesia, dissociation, and unawareness) in the face of trauma is to preserve apparently necessary human relationships in which betrayal occurs. Results from three recent laboratory investigations of cognitive processes associated with dissociative tendencies are summarized. These laboratory investigations suggest that the attentional capacities of high dissocators are impaired under conditions of selective attention, but not divided attention. Furthermore, in our laboratory tasks high dissocators have impaired memory for emotionally charged words associated with sexual assault and abuse (e.g., “incest”) but not neutral words, as compared with low dissociators. The findings suggest that high dissociators use divided attention and multi-tasking as a way to control the flow of information. Such a view is consistent with betrayal trauma theory. Though in its infancy, this research draws on cognitive science and observations of traumatic response and offers much promise. |
