The effects of early trauma on autobiographical memory and schematic self-representation

This study investigated empirically clinical assumptions regarding deficits in autobiographical memory and schematic self‐representation associated with early interpersonal trauma. A sample of 110 undergraduates completed a protocol involving interviews and questionnaires related to trauma history, early autobiographical memory, and other clinical factors not used in the immediate study. An adult autobiographical memory coding scheme was developed to determine degree of elaboration of memories. It was hypothesized that in a group positive for trauma history as compared with non‐trauma controls, deficits in the elaboration of autobiographical memory would be found and that such deficits would be a basis for impairments in schematic self‐representation. No differences were found between trauma and no‐trauma groups on most major variables. One of three dimensions of self‐representation, a factor named identity integration, was significantly related to trauma severity, suggesting that greater severity is related to less integration of identity. Otherwise, the hypotheses were not supported. In an exploratory analysis of the memory narratives, there was one additional significant finding suggesting that memories that participants self‐labeled as traumatic were more elaborated than all other memories. The autobiographical memory coding scheme was found to be a reliable measure of elaboration. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.