| There are two research lines in this project. The first relates to the clinical research tradition, the second to non-clinical cognitive psychology. 1) First, research is being described into the post-traumatic stress syndrome (DSM-IV, PTSS). After severe negative experiences like rape and acts of war 10-15% of the victims develops a PTSS. A major theoretical and clinical question is why a majority does not develop a PTSS, whereas a minority does. This research aims at answering this question by studying which characteristics of trauma processing are determinative for the development of PTSS. 2) The other research line concerns research into anxiety and selective attention from a development perspective. In tens of studies it has been demonstrated that anxious patients focus their attention selectively and unintentionally on sources of putative threat (Williams et al. 1996). There are indirect indications that this anxiety related selective attention plays a role in maintaining the anxiety complaints. Much has been speculated about the role of selective attention in the etiology of anxiety. Building on earlier research it will be documented during the next years whether and to what degree selective attention in children plays a role in the development of anxiety disturbances at later age. |
