Keywords

Self-Blame, Trauma, Identity, Trauma Type

Abstract

Sexual victimization is a pervasive issue with profound psychological effects. One critical factor influencing post-assault outcomes is self-blame, which can manifest as behavioral (blaming one’s actions) or characterological (blaming one’s core self). Research has shown that self-blame is more strongly associated with sexual assault than with non-interpersonal traumatic events; however, comparisons between sexual assault and other interpersonal traumas remain underexplored. Furthermore, the relationship between specific types of self-blame and different trauma types has not been thoroughly examined. This distinction may be important, as each form of self-blame is linked to different psychological outcomes. Self-blame has been associated with several negative psychological outcomes, however, has not yet been evaluated in its relationship to identity disturbances. This study explores how self-blame, and its different types may be related to different trauma types, and how self-blame is associated with identity disturbances, specifically one’s self-concept and identity distress. The results reveal a novel connection between self-blame, event centrality, and identity disturbances. Characterological self-blame, as compared to behavioral self-blame, was associated more with negative trauma outcomes, including identity disturbances. Results also suggested that interpersonal traumas elicited the most self-blame in general, as well the most characterological self-blame, while no differences were found between types of interpersonal trauma types. The findings of this study emphasize the connection of traumatic experiences to identity disturbances, as well how self-blame for traumatic experiences underlies this relationship.

Completion Date

2025

Semester

Summer

Committee Chair

Berman, Steven

Degree

Master of Arts (M.A.)

College

College of Sciences

Department

Psychology

Format

PDF

Identifier

DP0029513

Language

English

Document Type

Thesis

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