Psychological Science

Magazine Overview

Title: Psychological Science
Issue: Vol. 15, No. 7
Date: July 1, 2004
Publisher: SAGE, on behalf of the Association for Psychological Science
Country: United States
Language: English

This issue of Psychological Science features a research report titled "Psychophysiological Responding During Script-Driven Imagery in People Reporting Abduction by Space Aliens" by Richard J. McNally and colleagues. The study investigates whether the recollection of highly improbable traumatic experiences, such as alien abduction, is accompanied by psychophysiological responses indicative of intense emotion.

Research Report: Psychophysiological Responding During Script-Driven Imagery in People Reporting Abduction by Space Aliens

Abstract

The study aimed to determine if the recollection of highly improbable traumatic experiences is associated with psychophysiological responses reflecting intense emotion. Researchers measured heart rate, skin conductance, and left lateral frontalis electromyographic responses in individuals who reported alien abduction experiences. These responses were recorded during script-driven imagery of their reported alien encounters, as well as other stressful, positive, and neutral experiences. A control group of participants who did not report alien abductions also listened to and imagined the abductees' scripts. The researchers hypothesized that if alien abduction memories function like highly stressful memories, then psychophysiological reactivity would be greater for abduction and stressful scripts compared to positive and neutral scripts, particularly among abductees. The results supported this prediction across all three physiological measures, suggesting that the belief of having been traumatized can generate emotional responses similar to those provoked by recollection of actual trauma, such as combat.

Introduction

The paper begins by contextualizing the research within the ongoing debate surrounding recovered memories of trauma and the concept of "false memories." It notes that while research has explored memory function in individuals with recovered trauma, the study of alien abduction memories is a more recent development. Previous research by the authors indicated that adults reporting recovered memories of childhood sexual abuse were more likely to exhibit false recognition, and a subsequent study found similar effects in those reporting recovered memories of alien abduction. The introduction also draws parallels between the heightened psychophysiological reactivity observed in individuals with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) when recalling trauma and the intense emotional reactions reported by individuals recalling improbable traumatic events, such as ritual abuse by satanic cults. The study's objective is to investigate whether these improbable traumatic events provoke psychophysiological reactions indicative of intense emotion.

Method

Participants:
Two groups participated: an Alien-Abductee Group and a Control Group.

• Alien-Abductee Group: Comprised 6 women and 4 men, with a mean age of 47.5 years (SD = 11.9). Participants were recruited through newspaper advertisements, staff at the Program for Extraordinary Experience Research (PEER), or previous participants. The study protocol and informed consent were approved by relevant university and medical center ethics committees. During the first session, participants were interviewed about their alien encounters, and then completed script-preparation forms. In the second session, they were assessed for PTSD and other Axis I disorders using the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) and the Structured Clinical Interview for Axis I DSM-IV Disorders (SCID).
• Three participants did not fully qualify for lifetime PTSD related to alien encounters, and one had current subthreshold PTSD.
• All abductees reported experiencing apparent sleep paralysis with hypnopompic hallucinations, which they interpreted as alien encounters. Eight of the ten abductees had undergone quasi-hypnotic sessions to recover detailed memories of alien encounters, such as sexual and medical probing.

• Control Group: Comprised 7 women and 5 men, with a mean age of 49.9 years (SD = 13.0). They were recruited from the community and were matched with abductees by sex and age.

Psychometrics:
Participants completed several questionnaires, including the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Trait Anxiety Inventory, Absorption Scale, and measures of schizotypy (Perceptual Aberration Scale, Magical Ideation Scale, and Referential Thinking Scale).

Scripts:
Five individualized scripts were prepared for each abductee: two related to alien abduction, one highly stressful script, one positive script, and one neutral script. These scripts were based on the participants' own descriptions and bodily responses. For data analysis, the responses to the two abduction scripts were averaged. Control participants listened to the scripts of matched abductees. The scripts were approximately 30 seconds long and were delivered in the second person, present tense.

Apparatus and Physiological Variables:
Physiological recordings were made in a sound-attenuated room using a modular instrument system. The dependent variables measured were heart rate (HR), skin conductance (SC), and electromyogram (EMG) of the left lateral frontalis (LF) facial muscle. Analog outputs were digitized and sampled at 2 Hz.

Procedure and Data Reduction:
After a relaxation instruction, participants listened to the audiotaped scripts. Each script presentation involved four consecutive 30-second periods: baseline, listening, imagery, and recovery. Participants were instructed to imagine the event vividly during the listening and imagery periods. Self-reports of image vividness, emotional dimensions (valence, arousal, dominance), and discrete emotions were collected. Change scores were calculated by subtracting the preceding baseline-period value from the imagery-period value. HR data for one control participant were excluded due to recording problems.

Results

Psychometrics:
Abductees scored significantly higher than control participants on measures of absorption, magical ideation, and dissociation.

Reactions to Imagery Scripts:
To test the hypothesis that alien abduction memories provoke reactions akin to traumatic memories, contrast weights were applied to the physiological responses. A larger "L score" indicated a greater tendency for participants to produce larger responses to abduction and stressful scripts than to positive and neutral scripts. A one-tailed t test confirmed that abductees exhibited greater psychophysiological reactivity to abduction and stressful scripts compared to positive and neutral scripts for HR, SC, and LF EMG. These findings were consistent with self-reported emotional responses, where abductees reported heightened ratings of arousal, fear, surprise, and imagery vividness during abduction imagery.

Discussion

The study concludes that recollections of purported traumatic encounters with space aliens are accompanied by physiological reactions and emotional self-reports similar to those associated with other highly stressful experiences. The abductees' physiological responses to their abduction scripts were comparable to those of PTSD patients responding to their trauma scripts. However, the authors caution that while improbable traumatic memories can provoke physiological reactions similar to conventional traumatic memories, this does not confirm the authenticity of the memory. The physiological markers of emotion reflect the emotional significance of a memory, not necessarily its veracity.

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a grant from the Clark Fund. The authors thanked several individuals and the Program for Extraordinary Experience Research for their assistance.

References

A comprehensive list of references is provided, citing works on PTSD, memory distortion, psychophysiology, and related psychological constructs.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

This issue of Psychological Science focuses on the intersection of memory, trauma, and physiological responses. The featured research report delves into the complex nature of recovered memories, particularly those related to highly improbable events like alien abduction. The study's findings suggest that the emotional and physiological impact of these memories can be as potent as those associated with more conventional traumas, but it carefully distinguishes between the emotional significance of a memory and its factual accuracy. The journal's stance, as reflected in this article, appears to be one of rigorous scientific inquiry into subjective experiences, employing empirical methods to understand psychological phenomena without necessarily validating the literal content of extraordinary claims. The emphasis is on understanding the psychological mechanisms at play, regardless of the perceived veracity of the reported events.