Cultural differences in levels of autonomous orientation in autobiographical remembering in posttraumatic stress disorder

Abstract

Summary: This study investigated cultural differences in levels of autonomous orientation (the tendency to express autonomy and self-determination) in autobiographical remembering in those with and without posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Trauma survivors with PTSD and without PTSD from individualistic and collectivistic cultures (N ¼ 101) provided self-defining, everyday and trauma autobiographical memories. Memories were coded for levels of autonomous orientation and interdependence. It was found trauma survivors from individualistic cultures with PTSD had lower levels of autonomous orientation in their autobiographical remembering than trauma survivors from individualistic cultures without PTSD. In contrast, trauma survivors from collectivistic cultures with PTSD had higher levels of autonomous orientation in their autobiographical remembering than trauma survivors from collectivistic cultures without PTSD. The results suggest the cultural distinction in self-impacts on the relationship between the nature of autobiographical remembering and posttraumatic psychological adjustment. Copyright # 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Theoretical models and an increasing body of empirical work have focused on the role of autobiographical memory in the understanding of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (e.g. Conway, 2005; Dalgleish, 2004; Ehlers & Clark, 2000; McNally, Lasko, Macklin, & Pitman, 1995; Rubin, Berntsen, & Bohni, 2008; Sutherland & Bryant, 2006). However, these theoretical and empirical advances have not considered the influence of cultural differences in self-construal on autobiographical remembering. People in different cultures have strikingly different understandings of the self which have been found to impact on autobiographical remembering. In individualistic cultures (typically Western), the self is perceived to be an independent, autonomous and self-determining unit. In contrast, in collectivistic cultures (typically non-Western) the self is perceived as an interdependent, related unit (see Markus & Kitayama, 1991). Wang and Conway (2004) theorize a unique, symbiotic, bi-directional relationship between the culturally appropriate self and autobiographical memory. Specifically, an emphasis on autonomy versus relatedness in the self at the macro cultural level influences the encoding, organization and retrieval of individuals’ autobiographical memory and autobiographical memories function to develop, express and maintain the culturally appropriate self. This relationship is demonstrated in the emergence, content and organization of autobiographical memory. Research has shown that mothers from collectivistic cultures engage their children in reminiscing that encourages ongoing relationships, social interactions and collectivity, and downplay autonomy and self-determination. In contrast, mothers from individualistic cultures invite their children to actively participate in the creation of their own life story and there is an emphasis on the individual’s self-definition, autonomy and self-determination (e.g. Choi, 1992; Mullen &