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The effects of sexual assault-related intrusion suppression in the laboratory and natural environment.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Rosenthal, MZ; Follette, VM
Published in: Behav Res Ther
January 2007

Individuals with a history of sexual victimization often experience enduring intrusive thoughts associated with their assault history. Research suggests that the characteristic ways in which sexually assaulted individuals respond to aversive internal experiences (i.e., thoughts, emotions, etc.) can influence the psychological distress associated with these intrusions. This study investigated the effects of suppressing sexual assault-related intrusions in a sample of 61 female college students with a history of adolescent or adult sexual assault and recent assault-related intrusions. Participants were randomly assigned to suppress or monitor intrusions during a laboratory task and for 48 h outside the laboratory. In contrast to study hypotheses, findings indicated that intrusion monitoring was associated with higher subjective distress than suppression both in the laboratory and in the natural environment. No differences were found for the frequency of intrusions between groups in the laboratory. However, modest evidence for a rebound effect in intrusion frequency was found outside the laboratory.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Behav Res Ther

DOI

ISSN

0005-7967

Publication Date

January 2007

Volume

45

Issue

1

Start / End Page

73 / 87

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Stress, Psychological
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
  • Sex Offenses
  • Repression, Psychology
  • Middle Aged
  • Internal-External Control
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Crime Victims
  • Clinical Psychology
 

Citation

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ICMJE
MLA
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Rosenthal, M. Z., & Follette, V. M. (2007). The effects of sexual assault-related intrusion suppression in the laboratory and natural environment. Behav Res Ther, 45(1), 73–87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2006.01.013
Rosenthal, M Zachary, and Victoria M. Follette. “The effects of sexual assault-related intrusion suppression in the laboratory and natural environment.Behav Res Ther 45, no. 1 (January 2007): 73–87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2006.01.013.
Rosenthal, M. Zachary, and Victoria M. Follette. “The effects of sexual assault-related intrusion suppression in the laboratory and natural environment.Behav Res Ther, vol. 45, no. 1, Jan. 2007, pp. 73–87. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.brat.2006.01.013.
Journal cover image

Published In

Behav Res Ther

DOI

ISSN

0005-7967

Publication Date

January 2007

Volume

45

Issue

1

Start / End Page

73 / 87

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Stress, Psychological
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
  • Sex Offenses
  • Repression, Psychology
  • Middle Aged
  • Internal-External Control
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Crime Victims
  • Clinical Psychology