Project 4: Abnormal Psychology (Psychological Disorders) (Other (Not Listed) Sample)

Dissociative Identity Disorder Experiment Analysis
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Dissociative Identity Disorder Experiment Analysis
Dissociative Identity Disorder, previously identified as Multiple Personality Disorder remains an attractive point of discussion in psychological medicine and educational corridors. To date, the disease continues to elicit controversy as researchers seek to identify myths and make revealing truths about the condition. While the topic remains controversial, researchers strive to understand the existing etiology and methods used in Dissociative Identity Disorder. Notably, researchers have little literature on the performance of cognitive developments where human memory is the dominant symptoms (Butcher, Hooley & Mineka, 2015). Before analyzing the experiment carried out, it is pertinent to make a summary of the problem of multiple personalities. The essay introduces Dissociative Identity Disorder with the surrounding controversies, theories, and findings. Finally, the paper identifies the hypothesis applied for the experiment, the patients under study and made a summary of the conclusions of the investigation. There are different theories, and definitions scholars have given as they seek to shade more light on the pertinent topic of dissociation.
Dissociation can be defined as the alienation of psychological processes which in normal individuals integrate life memories and emotions. Scholars argue that Dissociation Identity Disorders are a form of psychological reaction to past situations that may have been traumatic. Some scholars claim that it is a mechanism human beings use to protect themselves from traumatic situations from the past (Barlow, 2005). Over time researchers continue to seek more knowledge on dissociation models. This is because of the increasing cases of trauma and how people suffering from severe cases of trauma are undergoing acute psychological stress. There is need to understand the human brain to ascertain and find the solution to Dissociation Identity Disorder. The experiment tested self-reported switching in the student as well as DID group participants to seek new knowledge on the effects of trauma on individuals. The investigation addressed how several personality disorders such as childhood traumas affect the adult life and relationships of people.
Hypotheses
The experiment applied some assumptions that include; In comparison to unshared memories, there is a strong sense of structure and sense in shared memories as participants show a deeper connection with close memories. Secondly, the dissociative identity disorder subjects will reveal or have no shortage of memory on the list of words to remember. Thirdly, the university participants, as well as DID subjects, will get the same treatment regarding the learning of particular tasks relevant to the experiment. Finally, the trial will test integration and switch among the participants (Barlow, 2005).
Experiment
The lab test carried comparative tests on two distinct groups of women. First, it examined eleven women to gain deeper knowledge and understanding on the topic fragmented and memory loss in multiple personality disorder patients and another study on 13 women drawn from the university. The purpose of the survey was to add to existing literature by using broad concepts of memory in DID. The experiment applied relevant memory examination, switching as well integrating memory. The eleven participants undertook an experiment that ran for two sessions testing different measures of memory. While the women received no specific instructions regarding changing between alters, the research later required them to answer how many times they had changed.
The experiment subjects comprised of university girls randomly sampled from a class of psychology. The researcher used the normal students as a baseline for carrying out the experiment on memory tasks. Before the experiment, some subjects were screened for Dissociative Identity Disorder, and those who scored better on Dissociative Experience Scale returned for the test. On the other side, DID group comprised of 11 women suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder. The sampling of the participants in this group needed qualified subjects to have confirmed diagnosis of DID.
Results
The results of the experiment showed that the DID group participants reported superior traumatic cases as compared to 13 participants drawn from the university. The participants, when compared to the students quickly, reproduced memories based on cues given. The experiment further revealed that the women suffering from the disorder had poor abilities when asked to provide sufficient answers to difficult questions that surrounded fear unlike in questions deemed neutral (Barlow, 2005). When compared to the university students, there was no decrease inability to provide adequate answers to similar questions. DID participants showed better abilities in reading words reversed in mirrors as compared to university students. It is pertinent to note that the results from the similar experiment had little statistical significance. The results further indicated same properties when it came to shared and unshared memories.
Experiment Conclusions
The tentative conclusion from the study indicates that common switching can slow the time it takes for individuals to react to situations and tasks ...