POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SELF-COMPLEXITY - PATTERNS OF ADJUSTMENT FOLLOWING TRAUMATIC VERSUS NONTRAUMATIC LIFE EXPERIENCES

The present research extended work on the buffering effects of self-co mplexity by exploring its implications for long-term adjustment follow ing traumatic life events. Self-complexity for positive and negative s elf-representations were examined separately. Subjects were classified into two groups-trauma and no-trauma-based on their ratings of experi enced negative life events. Positive self-complexity was strongly asso ciated with better adjustment post-trauma, whereas it was unrelated to adjustment for those who had not experienced a traumatic life event. Negative self-complexity was associated with poorer adjustment in both groups. Overall, psychological adjustment for those who had experienc ed a traumatic event was best predicted by the presence of many indepe ndent positive self-representations, whereas adjustment for those who had not experienced a traumatic event was best predicted by the absenc e of many different negative self-representations.