Document Type
Dissertation
Date of Award
2025
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Philosophy
First Advisor
Raluca M Simons
Abstract
Childhood betrayal trauma engenders negative outcomes such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and psychopathy. Though these outcomes are viewed as functional opposites, this multi-finality suggests similar underlying mechanisms. Childhood betrayal trauma results in low tolerance for different types of distress, including emotional distress and ambiguity. Distress is known to induce impulse control difficulties, which are associated with both PTSD and psychopathy. This cross-sectional study tested hypothesized indirect associations between childhood betrayal trauma and two outcomes: PTSD symptoms and psychopathy in a sample of young adults (N¬ = 753). We hypothesized direct paths from childhood betrayal trauma to PTSD, and psychopathy. The effect of childhood betrayal trauma on PTSD and psychopathy was hypothesized to be indirect via 1) distress tolerance, 2) distress tolerance and impulse control difficulties, 3) ambiguity tolerance, and 4) ambiguity tolerance and impulse control difficulties. Finally, ambiguity tolerance was expected to moderate the association between childhood betrayal trauma and psychopathy such that the effect would be strongest at low levels of ambiguity tolerance. No paths were freed post-hoc. Results indicated significant direct effects of childhood betrayal trauma on both PTSD and psychopathy. The effect of childhood betrayal trauma on PTSD was indirect via distress tolerance, and distress tolerance and impulse control difficulties. Childhood betrayal trauma had indirect effects on psychopathy via distress tolerance and impulse control difficulties. All indirect paths via ambiguity tolerance were non-significant. Findings highlight the salience of impulse control difficulties in psychopathy.
Subject Categories
Psychology
Keywords
distress tolerance, distress tolerance and impulse control difficulties, ambiguity tolerance, and ambiguity tolerance and impulse control difficulties.
Number of Pages
99
Publisher
University of South Dakota
Recommended Citation
Swaminath, Surabhi, "CHILDHOOD BETRAYAL TRAUMA, PSYCHOPATHY, AND PTSD: THE ROLE OF AMBIGUITY TOLERANCE, DISTRESS TOLERANCE, AND IMPULSE CONTROL DIFFICULTIES IN A COLLEGE SAMPLE." (2025). Dissertations and Theses. 351.
https://red.library.usd.edu/diss-thesis/351