Attentional processing of concern-related stimuli in dissociative identity disorder: No evidence for inter-identity differences

Clinically derived theoretical models of dissociative identity disorder (DID) suggest that these individuals experience shifts in cognitive functioning between identity states. While prior research has found no objective inter-identity differences in memory, the present study investigated whether such differences are evident in a related cognitive domain: attentional processing. It was hypothesized that individuals with DID would exhibit differences in their attentional bias (AB) toward concern-related stimuli. They were compared to individuals with PTSD who experienced interpersonal childhood trauma, simulators enacting different identity states, and non-clinical adults. Based on cognitive models in anxiety, individuals with PTSD were expected to show a vigilance-avoidance AB pattern for concern-related stimuli. Non-clinical comparisons were expected to show a weaker AB effect than the clinical groups. Participants (n = 95) completed a visual spatial dot-probe task with both short (200 ms) and long (1250 ms) exposure conditions, displaying angry (i.e., concern-related stimuli) and happy facial expressions (i.e., control stimuli). In addition, participants completed post-task measures of state anxiety and state dissociation. The results did not reveal significant AB differences between identity states in individuals with DID, although differences were observed between identity states in the simulator group. Moreover, no significant AB differences were found between individuals with DID, PTSD, and non-clinical groups. State anxiety and state dissociation scores were not significantly related to AB scores. Findings provided no support for shifts in attentional processing between identity states in DID. Furthermore, we found no evidence for a hypervigilant-avoidant AB pattern for concern-related stimuli in PTSD.