Research consistently demonstrates a link between childhood abuse and additional assaults in adulthood (otherwise known as revictimization). Revictimization is associated with more severe outcomes than single victimizations. Despite enormous public health implications, researchers understand little about mechanisms that increase revictimization. One widely-studied mediator of revictimization is risk detection, the ability to detect cues that may indicate danger in various situations. However, contributors to risk detection deficiencies remain unclear. Theorists have proposed several routes by which reactivity might relate to risk detection, For example, both hyper-reactivity and hypo-reactivity are common post-trauma responses and have been suggested to contribute to risk detection deficiencies. The current study addresses this problem by proposing that the discrepancy between objective physiological reactivity and subjective self-reported experience of reactivity disrupts risk detection abilities whereas matching physiological and staff-reported reactivity will preserve risk detection abilities. Additionally, the proposed project will address previous methodological limitations by utilizing multiple markers of reactivity during a behavioral risk detection task to better understand underlying regulatory mechanisms. To accomplish these goals, a community sample of 76 ethnicity diverse women with childhood physical anchor sexual abuse histories will be tested. After consenting, participants will be attached with physiological sensors. Participants will listen to a neutral audiotape first (to establish baseline and comparable neutral mood states) and then listen to a target audiotape of potential acquaintance rape. During the audiotapes, continuous physiological data (parasympathetic and sympathetic responses) and continuous self-reports of arousal using a rating dial will be collected. Furthermore, during the target audiotape, participants' will be instructed to signal by pressing the button next to the dial if they feel that the man has gone too far. The latency of the button-press will be calculated as a measure of risk detection ablhtty1 If the hypothesis is supported, women displaying a discrepancy of self-reported versus physiological measures of reactivity could be at greater rIsk1 for revictimization and associated deleterious health outcomes This prediction Sc has important Vestment implications; for example, interventions that do rot target both risk detection skills and women's perceptions of their reactivity to potentially dangerous situations win likely be ineffective. Thus, the proposed study addresses a serious and preventable public health problem. ? ? ? ?
| Chu, Ann T; Deprince, Anne P; Mauss, Iris B (2014) Exploring revictimization risk in a community sample of sexual assault survivors. J Trauma Dissociation 15:319-31 |
| Sundermann, Jane M; Chu, Ann T; DePrince, Anne P (2013) Cumulative violence exposure, emotional nonacceptance, and mental health symptoms in a community sample of women. J Trauma Dissociation 14:69-83 |
