The relationship between self-traumatized and self-vulnerable automatic associations and posttraumatic stress symptoms among adults who have experienced a distressing life event

Abstract Convergent evidence supports a crucial role for dysfunctional appraisals in the development and maintenance of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, most research this area has used self-report measures, assessing only explicit forms such negative cognitions; relevance their more automatically-activated counterparts, as assumed by cognitive models, remains relatively unexplored. The current study aimed to further our understanding potential utility measuring automatic associations context posttraumatic stress. relationship between scores on two different implicit association tests (IATs) symptoms was investigated sample adults ( N = 279) who reported having experienced potentially traumatic life event. Participants completed IATs (one self-traumatized associations, other self-vulnerable associations), measure appraisals, measures aspects psychopathology online. Scores indicating higher levels both were associated with symptoms. Only IAT not continued show an after controlling appraisals. Overall, results indicate value investigating PTSD-relevant develop processes implicated