Zoellner, LoriPeConga, Emma2025-10-022025-10-022025PeConga_washington_0250E_28688.pdfhttps://hdl.handle.net/1773/54108Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2025Background: Sexual assault exposure and posttraumatic psychopathology have been linked to a range of biases in general memory (e.g., Aupperle et al., 2012; Ono et al., 2016) and in the trauma memory itself (e.g., Brewin et al., 2014). These memory biases have been implicated in theoretical models of post-assault psychopathology (e.g., Rubin, 2016; Williams et al., 2007): working memory deficits may potentially impact the creation of new, positive memories (Vasterling et al.,1998), inhibitory deficits may impact normal forgetting processes (Storm & Levy, 2012), and lower autobiographical memory specificity may buffer emotional pain (Williams, 2006). However, it is not clear whether memory deficits reflect a pre-trauma risk factor (Parslow & Jorm, 2007; Gilberston et al., 2007), are a consequence of trauma exposure, or are exacerbated by psychopathology. Few longitudinal studies have been conducted to understand the dynamic associations among sexual assault, general memory processing, event-related memory, and psychopathology (PeConga, 2023). Method: This quasi-experimental study systematically examined variation in memory trajectories and psychopathology over time in university-age women (N = 216) at high risk for assault exposure (National Sexual Violence Resource Center, 2017). Sexual assault exposure was measured using a binary variable that combined endorsement of sexual assault on the Sexual Experiences Survey (SES-V; Koss, & Gidycz, 1985) and the trauma symptom checklist (PDS-5; Foa et al., 2016). Participants completed online versions of the digit span task (Wechsler, 1997), retrieval-induced forgetting task (Storm and Levy, 2012), and the autobiographical memory task (AMT; Williams & Broadbent, 1986). Participants also provided brief narratives of the most negative and positive events in the last year. Standardized questions about those events were coded for consistency over time and narratives were coded for emotionality (VADER; Hutto & Gilbert, 2014). Psychopathology was assessed using the Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale (PDS-5; Foa et al., 2016), Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (QIDS-SR; Rush et al., 2003), and Daily Drinking Questionnaire (DDQ; Collins et al., 1985). It was hypothesized that sexual assault exposure would predict next-session changes in general memory processing (working memory, retrieval-induced forgetting, autobiographical memory specificity). Second, general memory processing deficits would increase prior to decreases in emotional event memory consistency. Finally, psychopathology would increase prior changes in general memory processing (working memory, retrieval-induced forgetting, autobiographical memory specificity) and emotional event memory (consistency, emotionality). Results: The mean age of the sample was 19.54 (SD = 2.47, 18-35). About half (50.46%) reported lifetime experience of sexual assault at baseline (n = 109). Cross-lagged, longitudinal multilevel models with disaggregated within- and between-person effects found that the occurrence of sexual assault predicted next-assessment reductions in autobiographical memory specificity (SAt  AMTt+1: ES = -0.26, 95% credible interval [CI] = -0.45, -0.09), with a small effect. Further, higher retrieval-induced forgetting (RIFt  Consistencyt+1: ES = 0.19, 95% CI [0.29, 0.87]) and higher memory specificity (AMTt  Consistencyt+1: ES = 0.29, 95% CI [0.09, 0.31]) predicted higher next-assessment event memory consistency, with a small effect. Only higher emotionality of negative and positive emotional life event narratives predicted higher PTSD next assessment (e.g., Negativityt  PTSDt+1: ES = -.12, 95% CI [-0.17, 0.00]; Positivityt  PTSDt+1: ES = .14, 95% CI [0.00, 0.01]). Conclusion: These findings extend cross-sectional literature regarding associations between post-traumatic psychopathology and memory biases but raise questions about the causal role of memory processing biases on psychopathology. Temporal associations of retrieval-induced forgetting and autobiographical memory specificity predicting higher consistency of emotional event memories align with theories highlighting the mechanistic role general memory styles play in how highly emotional life events are remembered.application/pdfen-USnoneCognitionMemorySexual AssaultClinical psychologyPsychologyThesis