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Dissociative tendencies and the sitting duck: Are self‐reports of dissociation and victimization symptomatic of neuroticism?
Author(s) -
Irwin Harvey J.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.124
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1097-4679
pISSN - 0021-9762
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-4679(199812)54:8<1005::aid-jclp1>3.0.co;2-t
Subject(s) - dissociative experiences scale , psychology , neuroticism , dissociative , personality , eysenck personality questionnaire , schizotypy , dissociation (chemistry) , clinical psychology , dissociative disorders , developmental psychology , psychiatry , big five personality traits , extraversion and introversion , social psychology , chemistry
Previous research has shown dissociative tendencies are related to a reported history of childhood abuse. A recent study by Johnson, Edman, and Danko (1995) suggested, however, that dissociation may be associated with a more general tendency to recall and report negative life experiences. Johnson and colleagues hypothesized that the relationship between dissociation and self‐reported victimization stems from their shared origin as neurotic symptoms. In a test of this hypothesis, Australian adults ( N = 92) were administered the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, the Dissociative Experiences Scale, the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire‐Brief, the Bad Things Scale, and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed a significant relationship between dissociation and self‐reported victimization even after the contribution of neuroticism had been removed. Schizotypy also was found to be a predictor of dissociative tendencies. The hypothesis of Johnson and colleagues was rejected. The findings are discussed in relation to traumagenic models of dissociation. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Psychol 54: 1005–1015, 1998.