Psycholinguistic Markers of Autobiographical and Traumatic Memory

Authors

  • Larysa Zasiekina Anglia Ruskin University, UK
  • Shelia Kennison Oklahoma State University, USA
  • Serhii Zasiekin Lesya Ukrainka Eastern European National University, Ukraine
  • Khrystyna Khvorost Lutsk National Technical University, Ukraine

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29038/eejpl.2019.6.2.zas

Keywords:

traumatic memory, autobiographical memory, PTSD, propositional structure, LIWC.

Abstract

This study examines psycholinguistic structure of autobiographical and traumatic narratives representing positive emotional and stressful traumatic life events. The research applied the cross sectional, between subjects design utilizing the independent variables of external agent they, space and time and dependent variable of word number in traumatic narratives for multiple regression analysis. The approval letter to recruit the participants through SONA system in 2015–2016 academic year was obtained from Institutional Review Board of Oklahoma State University (USA). 64 undergraduates of nonclinical setting, females (n=37), males (n=27), mean age was 19.43 (SD=1.37) were recruited. PTSD-8: A Short PTSD Inventory assesses PTSD, the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) analyzes traumatic and autobiographical narratives in terms of linguistic units and psychological meaningful categories. The results indicate that there are significant differences between pronoun they as external agent of proposition and psychological categories of negative emotions and anxiety in traumatic and autobiographical narratives. The frequency of these categories is higher in traumatic narratives compared with autobiographical narratives. External agent they, category of time and space  taken together significantly contribute to word number in traumatic narrative. There is a negative correlation between focus on the past and word count, and positive correlation between social category and word count in traumatic narrative in nonclinical sample. To sum up, propositional structure of traumatic memory of individuals without PTSD is represented by external agent and context (place and time) taken together. Considering time as a significant negative predictor of creating traumatic narrative, temporal processing without overestimation of time is an important factor of avoiding PTSD. The principal theoretical implication of this study is that traumatic memory might be examined through psycholinguistic markers represented by propositional structures and psychological meaningful categories of traumatic narratives in individuals from nonclinical and clinical settings.

References

  • Anderson, J., Bower, G. D. (1974). A propositional model of recognition memory. Memory and Cognition2(3), 406-412.
  • American Psychiatric Association. (2013). American Psychiatric Association, 2013. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.)American Journal of Psychiatry (p. 991). doi: https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596.744053
  • Bauer, P.J. (2015). A complementary process account of the development of childhood amnesia and a personal past complementary process. Psychological Review122(2), 204-231. doi: https://doi.org/10.1037/a0038939.
  • Berntsen, D. (2009). Involuntary Autobiographical Memories: An Introduction to the Unbidden Past. Cambridge: Cambridge University press.
  • Berntsen, D., Rubin, D.C. (2002). Cultural life scripts structure recall from autobiographical memory. Memory and Cognition32(3), 427-442. doi: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03195836.
  • Berntsen, D., Rubin, D.C., & Siegler, I.C. (2011). Two versions of life: emotionally negative and positive life events have different roles in the organization of life story and identity. Emotion, 11(15),1190-201. doi: https://doi.org/10.1037/a0024940.
  • Bietti, L. (2014). Discursive Remembering (Media and Cultural Memory). Paris: Telecom Paris Tech.
  • Brewin, C.R. (2007). Autobiographical memory for trauma: Update on four controversies. Memory15(3), 227-248. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/09658210701256423.
  • Byrne, C. A., Hyman Jr, I. E., & Scott, K. L. (2001). Comparisons of memories for traumatic events and other experiences. Applied Cognitive Psychology: The Official Journal of the Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 15(7), S119-S133. doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.837.
  • Cohen, J. A., Mannarino A. P., Deblinger, E. (2006). Treating Trauma and Traumatic Grief in Children and Adolescents. N.Y.: Guilford Publication Inc.
  • Fivush R., Habermas T., Waters T. E.A., Zaman W. (2011). The making of autobiographical memory: intersections of culture, narratives and identity. International Journal of Psychology46(5), 321-345. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/00207594.2011.596541.
  • Gunsch, M. A., Brownlow, S., Haynes, S. E., & Mabe, Z. (2000). Differential forms linguistic content of various of political advertising. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media44(1), 27-42. doi: https://doi.org/10.1207/s15506878jobem4401_3.
  • Hague, S. and Conway, M. A. (2001). Sampling the process of autobiographical memory construction. European Journal of Cognitive Psychology13, 529-547. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/09541440125757.
  • Hansen M, Andersen T., Armour C. Elklit A, Palic S., Mackrill T. (2010) PTSD-8: A Short PTSD Inventory. Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health, 6, 101-108. doi: https://doi.org/10.2174/1745017901006010101.
  • Jensen, T. K., Holt, T., Ormhaug, S. M., Egeland, K., Granly, L., Hoaas, L. C., ... & Wentzel-Larsen, T. (2014). A randomized effectiveness study comparing trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy with therapy as usual for youth. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology43(3), 356-369. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1080%2F15374416.2013.822307
  • Kubany, E. S., Leisen, M. B., Kaplan, A. S., Watson, S. B., Haynes, S. N., Owens, J. A., & Burns, K. (2000). Development and preliminary validation of a brief broad-spectrum measure of trauma exposure: the Traumatic Life Events Questionnaire. Psychological Assessment12(2), 210. doi: https://doi.org/10.1037/1040-3590.12.2.210.
  • Lorenzzoni, P.L., Silva G. L. T., Poletto M. P., Kristensen Ch.H. (2014) Autobiographical memory for stressful events, traumatic memory and posttraumatic stress disorder: a systematic review. Avances en Psihologia Lationoamericana, 32(3), 361-376. doi: https://doi.org/10.12804/apl32.03.2014.08
  • Matos, M., & Pinto‐Gouveia, J. (2010). Shame as a traumatic memory. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy17(4), 299-312. doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.659.
  • Meichenbaum, D. A. (1994). Clinical Handbook for Assessing and Treating Adults with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Waterloo: Institute Press.
  • Miller, A. (1995). Novels Behind Glass. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Norman, D. A., & Bobrow, D. G. (1975). On data-limited and resource-limited processes. Cognitive Psychology7(1), 44–64. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/0010-0285(75)90004-3.
  • Nourkova, V., Bernstein, D. M., Loftus, E. F. (2014). Biography becomes autobiography: Distorting the subjective past. The American Journal of Psychology117(1), 65-80.
  • Pennebaker, J. W. (1993). Putting stress into words: Health, Linguistic and therapeutic implications. Behavioral Research Therapy, 31, 539-548. doi: https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1016/0005-7967(93)90105-4.
  • Pennebaker, J. W., & Seagal, J. D. (1999). Forming a story: The health benefits of narrative. Journal of Clinical Psychology55(10), 1243-1254. doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1097-4679(199910)55:10<1243::AID-JCLP6>3.0.CO;2-N.
  • Pennebaker, J. W., Boyd, R. L., Jordan, K., & Blackburn, K. (2015). The development and psychometric properties of LIWC2015. University of Texas at Austin.
  • Rassmusen, A. S., Ramsgaard, S. B., Berntsen, D. (2015). Frequency and Functions of Involuntary and Voluntary Autobiographical Memories Across the Day. Psychology of Conciseness: Theory, Research and Practice2(2), 185–205. doi: https://doi.org/10.1037/cns0000042.
  • Rubin, D. C., Dennis, M.F., Beckham, J. C. (2011). Autobiographical memory for stressful events: The role of autobiographical memory in posttraumatic stress disorder. Consciousness and Cognition20, 840-856. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2011.03.015.
  • Scherer, K.R., Wranik, T., Sangsue, J., Tran, V., & Scherer, U. (2004). Emotions in everyday life: Probability of occurrence, risk factors, appraisal and reaction patterns. Social Science Information, 43, 499-570. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0539018404047701.
  • Silva da T. L. G., Donat J. C., Lorenzonni P.L., Souza de L. K., Gauer G., Kristensen Ch. H. (2016). Event centrality in trauma and PTSD: relations between event relevance and posttraumatic symptoms. Psicologia: Reflexão e Critica, 29-34. doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s41155-016-0015-y.
  • Sotgiu I., Rusconi M.L. (2014) Why autobiographical memories for traumatic and emotional events might differ: theoretical arguments and empirical evidence. The Journal of Psychology148(5), 523-547. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.2013.814619.
  • Tausczik, Y. R., & Pennebaker, J. W. (2010). The psychological meaning of words: LIWC and computerized text analysis methods. Journal of language and social psychology29(1), 24-54. doi: 10.1177/0261927X09351676.
  • Van der Kolk, B. A., & Fisler, R. (1995). Dissociation and the fragmentary nature of traumatic memories: Overview and exploratory study. Journal of Traumatic Stress8(4), 505-525. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02102887.
  • Vicario, C. M., & Felmingham, K. L. (2018). Slower Time estimation in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Scientific Reports8(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-18907-5
  • Vicario, C. M., Gulisano, M., Martino, D., & Rizzo, R. (2016). Timing recalibration in childhood Tourette syndrome associated with persistent pimozide treatment. Journal of Neuropsychology10(2), 211-222. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/jnp.12064.
  • Vygotsky, L.S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
  • Zasiekina, L. (2014). Psycholinguistic representation of individual traumatic memory in the context of social and political ambiguity. East European Journal of Psycholinguistics1(2), 118-125. doi: https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.45899.
  • Zasiekina, L., Khvorost, K., & Zasiekina, D. (2018). Traumatic Narrative in Psycholinguistic Study Dimension. Psycholinguistics23(1), 47-59. doi: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1211097.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Downloads

Published

2019-12-27

Issue

Section

Vol 6 No 2 (2019)

How to Cite

Zasiekina, L., Kennison, S., Zasiekin, S., & Khvorost, K. (2019). Psycholinguistic Markers of Autobiographical and Traumatic Memory. East European Journal of Psycholinguistics , 6(2), 119-133. https://doi.org/10.29038/eejpl.2019.6.2.zas