Masters Theses

Date of Award

12-2023

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Major

Experimental Psychology

Major Professor

Michael Olson

Committee Members

Lowell Gaertner, Bob Dubois

Abstract

This study investigated the associations between non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), impulsivity, automatic associations with pain, and their combined impact on self-reported capability. The research hypotheses were tested using a sample of 226 participants (182 women, 40 men, and 4 individuals identifying outside the gender binary) recruited from the Department of Psychology participant pool at the University of Tennessee.

An Implicit Association Test (IAT) was employed to measure automatic associations between pain/relief and good/bad. Three self-report questionnaires were also administered, namely the Inventory of Statements about Self-Injury (ISAS) to assess NSSI history, the Acquired Capability for Self-Harm (ACSS) to measure self-reported capability for self-harm and pain endurance, and the SUPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale to evaluate impulsivity. Correlation analyses and multiple regression were performed to examine the relationships between variables and test the research hypotheses.

The results indicated that participants with a history of NSSI did not exhibit weakened pain-bad automatic associations (r = .06, p = .40), contrary to Hypothesis 1. Furthermore, Hypothesis 2, which predicted that weakened pain-bad automatic associations would predict higher levels of self-reported capability, was not supported. Instead, IAT scores showed a weak positive correlation with ACS scores (r = .13, p = .053). In testing Hypothesis 3, it was found that both SUPPS-P scores (a measure of impulsivity) and IAT scores independently predicted ACS scores. However, no significant interaction effect was observed.

These findings contribute to the understanding of the complex relationships between NSSI, impulsivity, automatic associations with pain, and self-reported capability. Future research should continue exploring additional factors and mechanisms that may further elucidate these associations and enhance our understanding of self-harm and related behaviors.

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