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Thesis
The specificity of disgust propensity as a predictor of posttraumatic stress symptoms following trauma exposure
Master of Science (M.S.), Drexel University
Jun 2022
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00001133
Abstract
The propensity to experience disgust has been demonstrated to significantly predict the severity of PTSD symptoms following exposure to traumatic events. Prior literature has consistently assumed that this is because greater disgust propensity causes more adverse reactions to concrete disgust-evoking stimuli experienced during trauma, but this has never been demonstrated empirically. One implication of this concept is that the strength of the association between disgust propensity and PTSD symptom severity should be contingent on the extent of disgust stimulus exposure present during potentially traumatic events (PTEs). As different types of PTEs can be expected to vary in their mean levels of disgust stimulus exposure, the aim of the present study was to fill the gap in existing literature by investigating whether the effect of disgust propensity on PTSD symptom severity was moderated by type of PTE exposure in a sample of individuals exposed to trauma. Demographics and responses to measures of PTE exposure, the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5; a measure of PTSD symptom severity), and the Disgust Scale-Revised (DS-R; a measure of disgust propensity) disgust propensity were recorded for a sample of 172 trauma-exposed Amazon Mechanical Turk workers. A hierarchical multiple linear regression model was created to examine whether DS-R score, type of PTE exposure, and the interactions between DS-R score and type of PTE exposure predicted PCL-5 score when controlling for severity of trauma exposure and demographic confounds. Additional exploratory models were also created to examine the effects of using the DS-R subscales in place of the full DS-R. While DS-R score consistently acted a significant predictor of PCL-5 score, only the interaction between DS-R score and exposure to 'other' PTEs was significant, and only when outliers were included in the model. A review of available literature and closer inspection of the model suggested that this constituted inconclusive evidence of moderation of disgust propensity by PTE exposure type due to the considerable statistical, conceptual, and methodological limitations of present work. Nonetheless, this project was able provide ample justification and direction for the future study using similar research design.
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Details
- Title
- The specificity of disgust propensity as a predictor of posttraumatic stress symptoms following trauma exposure
- Creators
- Aubrey Tucker
- Contributors
- Arthur M. Nezu (Advisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Master of Science (M.S.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- x, 87 pages
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Brain Sciences (Psychology); College of Arts and Sciences; Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 991018527101504721