Abstract
Intrusive thoughts, images, and their appraisal remain difficult to study despite their clinical relevance. Clinical studies typically used time-based (frequency and distress per observation period), while analogue studies mainly used event-based (report upon occurrence) assessment. A comparison of intrusion frequency, distress appraisal, compliance, and reactivity across different assessments is mostly lacking, particularly with regard to analogue research. Here, intrusions were induced via aversive films and assessed by a smart phone application for 4 days. Three sampling modes were compared by randomizing participants to one of three conditions: either one, or five time-based daily prompts, or event-based assessment. At the end of the study, all participants reported intrusions once again in a retrospective summary assessment. Results indicate that intrusions and their distress decayed over a few days. The three assessments did not differ in intrusion frequency, distress appraisal, compliance (generally high), reactivity (generally low), or retrospective summary assessment. Across groups, the more aversive and arousing participants rated the film clips and the more reactivity to the electronic-diary assessment they reported, the more intrusive memories they had; assessment modes did not differ on this. Thus, no general differences were found between electronic-diary assessment modes for analogue intrusions, giving researchers flexibility for tailoring ecological momentary assessment to specific study aims.
Highlights
Up to 90 percent of the population experience a traumatic event during lifetime (Kilpatrick et al 2013), with involuntary spontaneous recollections of the event typicallyJulina A
The present study revealed no differences in intrusion reports across e-diary assessment modes and had sufficient power to provide statistical support for absence of these differences using the Bayes approach, we cannot rule out that assessment itself triggered reactivity effects across groups (Clemens et al 2008); reactivity was rather low across groups
We could show the viability of assessing analogue intrusions after the trauma film using a smartphone e-diary application and observed a median of two intrusions on average
Summary
Up to 90 percent of the population experience a traumatic event during lifetime (Kilpatrick et al 2013), with involuntary spontaneous recollections of the event typicallyJulina A. Cognitive Therapy and Research (2019) 43:174–184 relatively fleeting mental events occurring repeatedly in daily life and over extended periods of time. Three different types of assessment have been used, namely event-based (EB, reporting intrusions upon each occurrence), time-based (TB, signaled entries of intrusions), and retrospective summary assessment (one entry after a couple of days/1 week). Each method has been criticized, with TB possibly triggering intrusions (i.e., reactivity effects: one cannot count intrusions without thinking of them, possibly fostering increased occurrence, cf Shiffman et al 2008) and retrospective assessment potentially being biased by active reconstruction and memory heuristics (e.g., salient and/or recent experiences are recalled more readily and overestimated retrospectively; Ebner-Priemer and Trull 2009). Some assessments may cause underreporting whereas others overreporting and they may or may not assess objective compliance
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
