Poster Session 05 Program Schedule
02/15/2024
02:30 pm - 03:45 pm
Room: Majestic Complex (Posters 61-120)
Poster Session 05: Neuropsychiatry | Addiction/Dependence | Stress/Coping | Emotional/Social Processes
Final Abstract #88
The Effect of Working Memory Performance Under Stress on the Relationship between Trauma, PTSD Symptoms, and IPV Perpetration
Gabriella Robinson, City University of New York, Queens College, New York, United States
Valentina Nikulina, City University of New York, Queens College, New York, United States
Category: Emotional and Social Processes
Keyword 1: antisocial behavior
Objective:
Over 12 million people annually experience intimate partner violence (IPV) in the United States. Emerging adulthood has the highest rates of IPV across the lifespan. While many theories attempt to explain why IPV rates are markedly increased during this age period, researchers call for more empirical studies to understand processes occurring during this period that result in increased IPV perpetration. Of the studies that assess IPV perpetration, samples generally consisted of male batterers that perpetrated severe IPV. Trauma history and PTSD symptoms have been seen as risk factors for IPV perpetration. Cognitive risk factors for IPV perpetration, such as neuropsychological risk factors, are studied less often than psychopathology, social learning from family systems, and societal factors in relation to IPV perpetration risk. Despite theories pointing to the potential roles of working memory in perpetration of aggression, mixed results have been found and studies were conducted in non-diverse samples of adult males. Thus, researchers call for more studies examining the role of working memory in IPV perpetration. The present study aimed to address these gaps within the literature by examining the relationship between trauma, PTSD, and the full range of IPV within emerging adults through recruitment of a diverse sample. Additionally, the study sought to add to the literature by examining whether working memory influences the relationship between trauma, PTSD symptoms and IPV. Furthermore, baseline and post-stress task measures of working memory were assessed given studies pointing to real-world correlates of executive functions measured under stress.
Participants and Methods:
A sample of 47 (82% female) emerging adults completed the study. Measures of trauma history, PTSD symptoms, and IPV perpetration were collected. Working memory was assessed before and after a social stress task.
Results:
Trauma history was associated with sexual coercion (p=.017) and significantly predicted psychological aggression (p=.033). However, trauma history was not associated with physical assault. PTSD symptomology was associated with psychological aggression (p=.014) and significantly predicted physical assault (p=.015). However, PTSD symptom severity was not associated with sexual coercion. No interaction was seen for working memory on the relationship between trauma and IPV. No interaction was seen for working memory on the relationship between PTSD and IPV. Working memory under stress, not baseline working memory, predicted sexual coercion (p=.029) and psychological aggression (p=.008).
Conclusions:
Trauma history and PTSD symptomology were related to certain types of IPV. Future studies should continue to explore whether working memory can influence these relationships. Results also suggest that instead of baseline working memory, individual’s working memory ability under stress has more implications for whether individuals will perpetrate intimate partner violence. Prior studies have seen significant difficulty in individuals’ utilization of cognitive emotion regulation strategies under stress. Poor working memory under stress in the present study may indicate a potential mechanism by which cognitive emotion regulation strategies become less effective; this potentially empirically supports social-information-processing theories.
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