The unreal self: A psychophysiological and psychological examination of dissociative body experiences in non-clinical samples

[摘要] This thesis examines the neurocognitive biases of body-specific emotional processing in those predisposed to latent biases of depersonalization / derealization (DP/DR) experience. DP/DR is characterised by dissociative feelings of self-consciousness and dulled emotional experience. Emotional arousal was recorded via psychophysiological measures (skin conductance responses: SCRs, and body temperature) in relation to salient, body-related stimuli consisting of aversive simulated body-threats (e.g. injection procedures and fingernail removal). Body-threats were delivered either directly to the participant’s body, observed on a second individual present in the same room, or observed via dynamic movie clips. The principal findings across all empirical studies demonstrated significantly reduced emotional arousal (SCRs) to aversive body-threats in those predisposed to DP/DR experiences. That is, emotional suppression was observed for body-threats delivered to the “self” (participant’s own body), and when observed on “others” in the same room and via movie clips. Crucially, this suppression was specific to aversive body-threat stimuli, and was not observed for baseline (non-body-related) stimuli or measures of baseline / anticipatory arousal. Body-temperature was not mediated by DP/DR experience. Collectively, this work significantly extends previous research and theoretical accounts of DP/DR by utilising aversive body-related stimuli to demonstrate selective biases of emotion regulation in non-clinical instances of DP/DR. Warning: Please be advised, the content presented in this research thesis contains discussion and images of threatening and violent behaviours (simulated scenarios) toward a human body (i.e. blood / gore, knives and injection procedures) that some individuals may find unpleasant, offensive, or distressing

[发布机构] University:University of Birmingham;Department:School of Psychology

[关键词] B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion;BF Psychology