Affect misattribution deriving from child maltreatment and dissociation: preliminary findings

Child maltreatment is a relevant risk factor for dissociation and psychopathology. However, implicit mental processes in child maltreatment research received scant a!ention. In this study, we used an A#ect Misattribution Procedure (AMP) to investigate implicit preference towards priming images depicting happy or maltreated children. "irty-two community adults (22 females, 68.8%) ranging in age from 20 to 45 years old (M=26.66; SD=5.14) were administered the AMP and self-report measures assessing child maltreatment and dissociation. Bayesian analyses showed that childhood maltreatment and dissociation scores were positively associated with errors (positive responses toward maltreatment primes and negative responses toward $gures of happy children) and with latency in responses. "ese preliminary $ndings might be relevant for understanding failures in metaconsciousness and hyperassociativity in some maltreated individuals. Also, they claim for further research that can unveil psychopathological distortions in cognitive processes deriving from child abuse and neglect.