The Set Switching Function of Nonclinical Dissociators Under Negative Emotion

Rapid switching may underlie the disruption of some integrated thought processes that characterize dissociation in both nonclinical and clinical populations. We investigated the set switching function under negative emotion with three groups of nonclinical participants that had different degrees of dissociation proneness. In the experiment, participants judged whether the digit in a predefined target color was odd or even on the preswitch trials. In a perseverance condition, participants were required to switch to a new target color while the previous target color became the distractor color. In a learned irrelevance condition, the previously ignored color became the new target color. The results showed that the three groups did not differ in focusing attention in the preswitch trials, for set switching in the baseline condition (in which emotion was not engaged), or for switching in the learned irrelevance condition under negative emotion. However, high dissociators under negative emotion showed faster switching in the perseverance condition. This enhanced ability to divert attention to a new mental set under negative emotion may be a coping strategy related to cognitive symptoms in dissociative disorders.