ABSTRACT

Background: The appraisal of a stressor substantially influences how we adapt to it. We used an experimental paradigm to test and replicate the effects of threat appraisals on subsequent intrusive memories, as well as their moderation by neuroticism. Method: In three studies (total N = 562), participants were randomly assigned to an aversive or control video and then asked to report their threat appraisals of the video. Intrusive memories were assessed at one, three, five, and seven days. We used a robust framework for testing causal mediational effects and their magnitude, including sensitivity analyses and new effect size metrics. Results: We found that threat appraisals mediated the effect of the video on intrusive memories (studies 1–3), and for people higher in neuroticism, the causal mediational pathway was stronger (study 1 and 2). Conclusions: These findings provide methodologically strong evidence that threat appraisals have causal effects on subsequent intrusive memories and that neuroticism enhances this effect, lending empirical support to appraisal theories of posttraumatic stress disorder.

摘要

背景：对压力源的评估会极大地影响我们如何适应它。我们使用实验范式来测试和复制威胁评估对后续侵入性记忆的影响，以及神经质对它们的调节作用。方法：在三项研究（总N  = 562）中，参与者被随机分配到厌恶或控制视频，然后要求报告他们对视频的威胁评估。在第 1、3、5 和 7 天评估侵入性记忆。我们使用了一个强大的框架来测试因果中介效应及其大小，包括敏感性分析和新的效应大小指标。结果：我们发现威胁评估介导了视频对侵入性记忆的影响（研究 1-3），对于神经质较高的人，因果中介途径更强（研究 1 和 2）。结论：这些发现提供了方法论上强有力的证据，表明威胁评估对随后的侵入性记忆具有因果影响，并且神经质增强了这种影响，为创伤后应激障碍的评估理论提供了经验支持。