Trigger Warnings: A Preliminary Empirical Investigation, Poster 60

Trigger warnings are statements that warn audiences about potentially emotionally disturbing material. Ideally, trigger warnings allow individuals who have experienced trauma to be forewarned about material that may trigger... [ view full abstract ]

Trigger warnings are statements that warn audiences about potentially emotionally disturbing material. Ideally, trigger warnings allow individuals who have experienced trauma to be forewarned about material that may trigger unwanted memories of their trauma. The goal of this three-part study was to look at the impact of trigger warnings and trauma history on how students emotionally react to a passage from literature that include physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. In this study, fifty participants read passages from Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye" that involved triggering material. Participants were randomized to one of four groups: 1) Control passage with no warning, 2) Trauma passage with neutral trigger warning, 3) Trauma passage with trigger warning emphasizing resilience, and 4) Trauma passage with trigger warning suggesting likely negative reactions. On Day 1, participants filled out the Life Events Checklist, the PTSD Checklist for the DSM-5 (PCL-5), read the passage, filled out the Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDS) and the Reactions to Research Participation-Revised (RRPQ-R). Two days later, participants completed the adapted PCL-5 and SUDS. Fourteen days later, participants completed the adapted PCL, SUDS, and the PCL-5.There was no effect of condition. There was a main effect for time on the SUDS--participants reported higher SUDS right after the passages than at Days 2 and 14. There was a main effect for trauma--those with a history of trauma reported more emotional reactivity on the adapted PCL and SUDS. Conclusions are limited by the small sample size and high attrition.