Trauma-Relevant Characteristics in a University Human Subjects Pool Population: Gender, Major, Betrayal, and Latency of Participation

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study of over 700 participants is the first to examine whether students in a university human subjects pool (HSP) population differ systematically by gender, major, and participation time (early versus late in the term) on characteristics relevant to trauma research. Males and females reported equal amounts of overall child and adult trauma, and equal amounts of low-betrayal trauma. Females reported more child and adult high-betrayal trauma (i.e., trauma perpetrated by someone close) than did males. Females also reported more current post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms than did males. Psychology majors reported more high-betrayal trauma and low-betrayal traumatic events in childhood, as well as more adult low-betrayal trauma, than did non-majors. Dissociation was correlated with all types of trauma. Current age was positively correlated with reporting trauma, regardless of age at which the trauma was experienced. Additionally, students who participated later in the term were, on average, more than a year older than those who participated earlier in the same term. There was no significant difference between early and late participants on any measure of trauma, PTSD symptoms, or dissociation. Implications for the use of HSPS in studying trauma and future research directions are addressed.