Author ORCID Identifier
Document Type
Dissertation
Date of Award
2024
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Christopher Berghoff
Abstract
Substance misuse is associated with high impulsive behavior and may represent one behavioral manifestation of impulsive behavior. One predictor of substance misuse is childhood maltreatment, which is, in turn, associated with difficulty regulating unwanted emotion. Accordingly, impulsive behavior is high among individuals exposed to maltreatment and likely functions as one behavioral strategy for coping with unwanted internal experiences. Consequently, identification of behavioral processes that may account for the childhood maltreatment and impulsive behavior relation in substance misusers appears warranted. One process-based behavioral model that may be useful in this endeavor is psychological flexibility, which includes the inflexible processes of experiential avoidance (EA) and cognitive fusion. High EA is positively associated with substance misuse and childhood maltreatment. Moreover, high EA is related to impulsive behavior, suggesting impulsive behavior may be one behavioral manifestation of attempts to regulate unwanted emotions. High avoidance of maltreatment-related internal experiences may be expressed as impulsive behavior. As such, EA may mediate the childhood maltreatment-impulsive behavior relation. EA becomes dysfunctional when overused as a coping strategy, suggesting specification of individual-level factors associated with increased EA in the context of childhood maltreatment may be warranted. High cognitive fusion is associated with impulsive behavior, including high substance use, EA, and negative sequelae of maltreatment. Indeed, entanglement with one’s thoughts may worsen distressing experiences related to maltreatment, thus strengthening the childhood maltreatment-EA relation. Yet, no research has distinguished the relations of impulsive behavior, childhood maltreatment, EA, and cognitive fusion among substance use treatment seekers. Accordingly, the present study examined these relations among a sample of substance use treatment seekers who reported exposure to childhood trauma (N=129). Results suggested history of childhood maltreatment was positively correlated with EA and cognitive fusion, and not correlated with impulsive choice. EA was positively correlated with cognitive fusion and not correlated with impulsive choice. Cognitive fusion and impulsive choice were positively correlated. EA did not account for the relation of childhood maltreatment and impulsive behavior, and cognitive fusion did not moderate the relation of childhood maltreatment and EA. Results are discussed in terms of additional explanations that may modify the childhood maltreatment-impulsive choice relation.
Subject Categories
Psychology
Keywords
childhood maltreatment, cognitive fusion, experiential avoidance, impulsive behavior, PTSD, substance use disorder
Number of Pages
146
Publisher
University of South Dakota
Recommended Citation
Kalantar, Emily, "IMPULSIVE BEHAVIOR IN THE CONTEXT OF A SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT SEEKING SAMPLE: A CONDITIONAL PROCESS ANALYSIS OF CHILDHOOD MALTREATMENT, EXPERIENTIAL AVOIDANCE, AND COGNITIVE FUSION" (2024). Dissertations and Theses. 252.
https://red.library.usd.edu/diss-thesis/252