Experiential Avoidance Moderates the Relationship between Positive Schema and Autobiographical Memory Specificity in Individuals with Interpersonal Traumas

經驗逃避調節正向基模與自傳式記憶特定性的關係：以曾遭遇人際創傷者為例

龔怡文(Yi-Wen Kung) ； 陳淑惠(Sue-Huei Chen)

《中華心理學刊》 64卷2期 (2022/06) Pp. 175-189

https://doi.org/10.6129/CJP.202206_64(2).0003

摘要

The shattered assumptions theory indicates that traumatic events, especially interpersonal traumas, could shatter positive schema; thus, survivors may develop posttraumatic stress symptoms. Reduced autobiographical memory specificity has also been identified in survivors, and its mechanism is based on two perspectives: the self-memory system and functional avoidance. The self-memory system posits that self-schema can guide autobiographical memory retrieval and inhibit specific information (i.e., traumatic information) that is self-incoherent or threatening. According to the functional avoidance mechanism, memory retrieval is terminated to reduce emotional disturbance associated with aversive events. One type of functional avoidance is experiential avoidance, which is an unwillingness to have contact with aversive experiences. Few studies have explored the aforementioned relationships. This study aimed to examine the association between positive schema and autobiographical memory specificity (AMS) in survivors of interpersonal trauma and to explore the moderating effect of experiential avoidance on the association. In this study, 94 participants with interpersonal trauma completed self-report measures assessing positive schema, experiential avoidance, and AMS with different valences and self-relevant cues. Results indicate that experiential avoidance moderates the relationship between positive schema and AMS with highly self-relevant cues. Specifically, among individuals with high experiential avoidance, those with higher-level positive schema displayed less AMS in response to highly self-relevant positive and negative cues. These findings not only support the role of experiential avoidance as a moderator between positive schema and AMS, but they also suggest its protective role in AMS, regardless of whether the memories are positive or negative. In addition, the effect of experiential avoidance may hinder self-coherence or may retain an inflexible positive schema and thus impede posttraumatic adjustment.

關鍵字

experiential avoidance ； positive schema ； autobiographical memory specificity ； self-memory system ； interpersonal traumas

並列摘要

假設撼動理論（shattered assumptions theory）指出創傷事件能夠撼動正向基模，人際創傷事件尤甚，因此倖存者可能發展出創傷後壓力症狀。過往研究已顯示倖存者展現出減少的自傳式記憶特定性。自傳式記憶特定性減少的機制基於兩個觀點：自我記憶系統與功能性逃避。自我記憶系統（self-memory system）指出，自我基模（self-schema）可以引導自傳式記憶的提取並抑制自我不融貫或具威脅性的資訊（即創傷訊息）。根據功能性逃避機制，記憶提取中斷是為了減少與嫌惡事件相關的情緒困擾。經驗逃避是一種功能性逃避，此為個體無意願接觸嫌惡經驗。然而，鮮少研究探討前述變項間的關係。因此，本研究旨在檢驗曾遭遇人際創傷者之正向基模與自傳式記憶特定性的關係，並探究經驗逃避在此關係中的調節效果。在本研究中，94位曾遭遇人際創傷的參與者完成正向基模、經驗逃避，及不同價性與自我關聯程度之自傳式記憶特定性的自陳式測量。結果顯示經驗逃避調節正向基模與高自我關聯線索字之自傳式記憶特定性的關係。在高經驗逃避程度的參與者中，有較高程度的正向基模者，對於高自我關聯的正向與負向線索字，展現較少的自傳式記憶特定性。這結果不僅支持經驗逃避為調節因子，也意味著它對自傳式記憶特定性的保護作用，無論這些自傳式記憶是正向或負向。此外，經驗逃避的效果可能阻礙了自我融貫性（self-coherence），或可能維持一個較無彈性的正向基模並因此妨礙創傷後調適。

並列關鍵字

經驗逃避 ； 正向基模 ； 自傳式記憶特定性 ； 自我記憶系統 ； 人際創傷

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