Specificity of experience psychological time and dysfunctional metacognitive models as consequences of experience traumatic events in childhood

Background. The traumatic experience, which is quite common, is not perceived linearly. The memory of trauma is often subjectively felt outside the chronological structure of ordinary life, “stuck” and repeating itself as a fragment, disrupting the sense of reality and its temporal processes. The resulting temporal distortion or gap hinders the process of overcoming traumatic experience. Dysfunctional metacognitive models and ineffective coping strategies that appear against the background of impaired temporal perception contribute to the development of the consequences of traumatization and hinder post-traumatic growth. The relevance of studying the temporal matrix of experiencing traumatic experience lies in its significance for a comprehensive understanding of how time is transformed and experienced under the influence of psychological trauma.

Purpose – analysis of the structural components and functioning of the temporal matrix of traumatic experience, revealing the patterns of determination by traumatic events experienced in childhood, the specifics of psychological time and dysfunctional metacognitions that disrupt personality adaptation.

Materials and methods. The study was conducted on a sample of 101 (78 women and 23 men) adults aged 18 to 54 years (M = 31.80, SD = 8.32). The study included a survey of participants using questionnaires and testing procedures. The following methods were used: a questionnaire to study the demographic and biographical data of the subjects; a questionnaire aimed at studying the degree of victimization (Victimization protocol); F. Zimbardo's time perspective questionnaire; a questionnaire of metacognitive beliefs; a questionnaire of coping with stress COPE-30. To study the main relationships between the variables, identify the factor structure and multiple regression, the SPSS version 22.0 program was used.

Results. There is a relationship between traumatic experience, dysfunctional metacognitions, time perspectives, strategies of avoiding experience and denial. A factor structure was identified, which we called the "temporal matrix of traumatic experience" (or "traumatic temporal matrix"), including five components: victimization in the past and present, violation of psychological time, dysfunctional coping strategies, dysfunctional metacognitions, and avoidance of experience. The results of regression for the dependent variable showed the determination of the factor structure by the presence of traumatic experience. Thus, experiencing traumatic events leads to the emergence of a specific rigid construct consisting of a negative assessment of the past and fixation on it, with a fatalistic perception of the present; dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs, including distrust of one's own perceptual processes and a belief in the inability to control emotions; dysfunctional coping strategies and strategies for avoiding painful experience. This study increases the awareness of specialists in the specifics of experiencing traumatic experience and can be used in practice aimed at post-traumatic growth.