Psychological dissociation and temporal integration/segregation across the senses: An experimental study

• Published in: Consciousness and cognition Vol. 124; p. 103731
• Main Authors: Cavicchioli, Marco, Santoni, Alessia, Chiappetta, Francesco, Deodato, Michele, Di Dona, Giuseppe, Scalabrini, Andrea, Galli, Federica, Ronconi, Luca
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.09.2024
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Affective functioning; Attention - physiology; Dissociation; Dissociative Disorders - physiopathology; Emotions - physiology; Female; Humans; Hyper-integration; Hyper-segregation; Male; Temporal integration; Young Adult; Temporal integration; Hyper-segregation; Affective functioning; Dissociation; Hyper-integration
• ISSN: 1053-8100; 1090-2376; 1090-2376
• DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2024.103731

•Dissociation has been explored using temporal integration sensory tasks.•Multi-sensory integration/segregation efforts induced dissociative states.•Hyper-segregation and hyper-integration predicted the emergence of dissociation.•Dissociative states and related integrative processes affective positive emotionality.•Attentional control experiment corroborated the role of integrative processes for dissociation. There are no studies that have experimentally tested how temporal integration/segregation of sensory inputs might be linked to the emergence of dissociative experiences and alterations of emotional functioning. Thirty-six participants completed 3 sensory integration tasks. Psychometric thresholds were estimated as indexes of temporal integration/segregation processes. We collected self-report measures of pre-task trait levels of dissociation, as well as pre- post-task changes in both dissociation and emotionality. An independent sample of 21 subjects completed a control experiment administering the Attention Network Test. Results showed: (i) a significant increase of dissociative experiences after the completion of sensory integration tasks, but not after the ANT task; (ii) that subjective thresholds predicted the emergence of dissociative states; (iii) temporal integration efforts affected positive emotionality, which was explained by the extent of task-dependent dissociative states. The present findings reveal that dissociation could be understood in terms of an imbalance between “hyper-segregation” and “hyper-integration” processes.