Exploring the mechanism underlying the working memory account of EMDR: The effect of fading in and fading out of negative and arousing images on emotionality, vividness, completeness and detail recall of traumatic memories

摘要: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a psychological intervention for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Currently, working memory account gives best explanation functionality EMDR. This states that conducting dual task, mostly horizontal eye movements, while retrieving traumatic will make this less emotional, vivid complete. It was hypothesized fading in and/or out images are itself causally contributing to reduced emotionality, vividness completeness recalled memories. experimental study (N=27) examined (the image starts vague gets more clear) clear vague) as an underlying mechanism account. By using within-subject design, participants engaged three conditions (fading in, control) which they had rate their memories on completeness. A detail recall test also conducted all conditions. No significant differences were found between However, trend indicating fewer details condition. Based these results, hypothesis or result diminishing not confirmed. Shortcomings experiment implications future research addressed.