Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Physiological Responses Regarding Stress And Trauma: The Freeze Response, Emma Arie Von Holten

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Fight-or-flight is a commonly known response to threatening situations, but the freeze response is another defensive mechanism that might arise in such situations. There is also evidence that exposure to trauma can impact physiological reactions when defensive mechanisms are not required, such as freezing in response to non-threatening situations. The current study aimed to replicate and expand upon a limited number of previous studies on the human freeze response by implementing measurements of postural sway, heart rate, and infrared thermography while valenced images were shown to participants. Ninety-two participants were recruited from the University of North Florida and participants were …

A Hopeless Illness Representation Style: Examining Chronic Illness And Depression With Coping As A Mediator, Dana Arnold

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The self-regulation theory of illness representations (Leventhal et al., 2003) and the hopelessness theory of depression (Abramson et al., 1989) were used to observe how hopeless illness representations, depression, and coping styles interact. 238 participants with a chronic illness lasting three months or more were observed through the VOICE (Verification of Illness and Coping Experience) survey. Mediation was used to analyze the relationship between hopeless illness representations and depression, with passive coping as the mediator. All regressions in the mediation analysis were significant, and partial mediation was found. Patients with hopeless illness representations were more likely to use passive coping …

Military Veteran Students Transition To Academic Life With Ptsd, Trauma, And Potential For Freezing Response., Alicia Marie Erchul

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The current study is the first known research to investigate the association of the freezing response with PTSD and traumatic stress in the military veteran student population. Current understanding of the freezing response are primarily based in comparative psychology, with some studies extending to human participants (Azevedo et al., 2005; Facchinetti et al., 2006; Hagenaars et al., 2012; Volchan et al., 2017). Models generally agree that the freezing response consists of reduced body sway with decreased heart rate (Porges, 2003, 2007; Hagenaars et al., 2014).

Thirty-eight military veteran students (n=38; 18 female; 20 male) with ages ranged from 19 to …

An Examination Of Social Connectedness On Ptsd And Freezing In A Student Military Population, Jessica Marie Ledwith

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the impact of social connectedness (SC) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a military college population, and their relation to physiological measures such as body sway, heart rate (HR), and heat rate variability (HRV). According to previous research, people with PTSD are more likely to exhibit a freezing response to affective images. In the present study, we explore the potential freezing response for military personnel at the levels of PTSD symptom groups and social connectedness. We also investigate the possible buffering effect social connectedness has on the outcome of PTSD and freezing. There was a total of …

Fight, Flight, Or Freezing? Investigating The Immobility Response In Military Veterans, Paige Elizabeth King

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

When the body is faced with threat to life or limb, the autonomic nervous system works to overcome the danger – by either fight, flight, or freezing. While immobility may not appear to be the most logical solution, theories exist that it allows for judgement of the situation and preparation for action. This study investigated the stress response that military veterans, with or without post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), demonstrate when shown unpleasant images. Researchers wanted to determine the extent to which veterans would show freezing or immobile responses when under an unpleasant image condition. It was hypothesized that veterans who …

Risk Domains And Adolescent Depression, Nathan Kawczynski

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Adolescence and young adulthood are the periods of development associated with the highest amount of risk-taking. One theory, the Dual-Systems model, suggests that this could be due to an imbalance in the maturation of two brain systems: reward appraisal, which matures first, and cognitive control, which matures later. This imbalance may be the cause of adolescents’ tendency to favor immediate rewards, disregarding consequences. Depressed adolescents, however, behave differently. While it is not exactly clear whether they take more risks or fewer risks, depressed adolescents display different interactions and decision making with their peers than non-depressed adolescents. This study attempted to …