Philipp, MichaelSievwright, Olivia2023-01-242023-03-152023-01-242023-03-152022http://hdl.handle.net/10179/18093The proliferation of social media use in recent years has meant individuals are at increased risk of being exposed to images of real-life violence and trauma. This issue, along with growing concerns about the inaccessibility of formal psychological therapy, raises questions about the demand for computer-delivered therapeutic interventions. However, previous research has raised concerns about the potential for some therapeutic techniques to increase susceptibility to misinformation (e.g., Houben et al., 2018). In this thesis, I aimed to test the effects of a computerised trauma intervention on trauma memory vividness, emotional intensity, and susceptibility to misinformation. Experiment One describes novel procedures and materials for investigating misinformation effects in an online context. Participants (N = 99) completed the study online. They first watched a 10-minute video of a fictional school shooting. Between five and ten days later, they were randomly assigned to receive misinformation or no misinformation about the video before completing a recognition test. Misinformed participants were less accurate at discriminating between misinformation and true statements than control participants. This effect was most strongly supported by ROC analyses (Cohen’s d = 0.59, BF10 = 8.34). The study showed the misinformation effect can be established in an online experiment using candid violent viral-style video stimuli. The novel materials developed in Experiment One were employed in a second experiment to test the misinformation potential of Cognitive Bias Modification – Appraisal (CBM-App) training; a computerised trauma intervention. In Experiment Two, participants viewed the school shooting video and rated the vividness and emotionality of the video. They then received a post-trauma debrief via video before being randomly assigned to either complete the CBM-App training intervention or a control task. Participants again rated their memory vividness and emotionality. Five to ten days later, all participants re-rated their memory vividness and emotionality and then received misinformation about the trauma video. Lastly, participants completed a recognition test. Results showed CBM-App training successfully instilled a positive cognitive bias; however, the intervention had no effect on trauma memory vividness or emotionality. ROC analyses also demonstrated no effect of CBM-App training on susceptibility to misinformation. The present research raises questions about the efficacy of CBM-App training for reducing trauma-related distress. Moreover, findings suggest that while there is the potential for memory distortion in many therapeutic interventions, this may not be the case for CBM-App training. This research has implications for the CBM-App, misinformation, and trauma literature. It is hoped the present research provides a foundation for further research investigating therapeutic interventions and misinformation effects in an online trauma context.The AuthorPsychic traumaPsychic trauma and mass mediaMisinformationComputer-assisted psychotherapyFalse memory syndromeThesis520399 Clinical and health psychology not elsewhere classified