Adaptation of the Scrambled-Sentences Task to Assess “Shattered Assumptions:” Construction of the Test and Investigation of Neural Substrates in an fMRI Study

Abstract

Background: Increasing recognition is being given to the importance of cognitions observed in posttraumatic conditions. These cognitions may reflect the activation of negative schemas. The aim of this work was to evaluate the feasibility of the scrambled-sentences task (SST) to assess individual differences in attributions commonly observed after traumas. Originally developed to assess the tendency to activate negative cognitions in individuals predisposed to depression, the SST is a laboratory task the outcome of which has been shown to predict depression relapse and is associated with depressiveness. Sampling and Methods: We used content from self-rating scales for assessment of the activation of trauma-related schemas to develop a trauma-related SST and evaluated its performance in a behavioral study (n = 43) and a functional neuroimaging study (n = 20). Results: In the healthy sample in which we tested it, the trauma-related SST was strongly associated with individual differences in negative affect (scores in depressiveness and neuroticism scales) as well as with the scores on trauma-related cognition scales. However, we failed to detect a clear specificity of trauma-related cognitions in correlations with scores on the trauma-related scales in the healthy participants. The neuroimaging data demonstrated activation of a ventral network of areas that included the perisylvian/temporal cortex and the peri­cingular cortex in handling trauma-related relative to neutral material, replicating previous neuroimaging studies of the SST. Conclusion: The shattered-assumptions SST demonstrated strong associations with individual differences in all of the rating scales used in the study, suggesting its usefulness in capturing aspects of affective psychopathology. The neuroimaging study confirmed the capacity of this task to elicit specific activations. In future studies, evaluation of the conditions in which these neural substrates are active may shed light on the mechanism of schema selection.

Negative Cognitions in the Personality Domains of the AMPD

“…Although conceived at the time in terms of the failure of control processes in preventing negative content to prevail (Wenzlaff & Wegner, 2000), it has become increasingly difficult to sustain this original model. Neuroimaging studies, which have been very consistent, show no trace of increased recruitment of cortical substrates of executive function in the SST or of an association with individual differences in working memory capacity (Viviani et al, 2010;Viviani, Mahler, et al, 2018). However, it would be equally difficult to attribute selection of sentences in the SST to an automatic process.…”

“…In study 3 (N = 194), we developed a new battery of sentences (30 sentences) by expanding the pool of sentences of previous studies (Viviani et al, 2010;Viviani, Mahler, et al, 2018). Each sentence in this revised battery came with an additional neutral/uncharacterized target word (for example, 'the future is bright/dismal/distant).…”

The World Dangerous it is – The Scrambled Sentences Task in the Context of Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms

“…To summarize, results on the SST's validity are mostly as expected, and mirror those of the earlier study in the context of negative life events. That is, Viviani, Mahler, et al, (2018) found that the SST was highly correlated with measures of PTSD-related DAs such as the PTCI, however, the association with depression was also strong. Further, our results are in line with those of a recent systematic review investigating the psychometric properties of the SST (Würtz, Zahler, et al, 2021).…”

The world dangerous it is—The scrambled sentences task in the context of posttraumatic stress symptoms

“…To summarize, results on the SST’s psychometric properties are mostly as expected and mirror those of the earlier study in the context of negative life events. That is, Viviani, Mahler et al (2018) found that the SST was highly correlated with measures of PTSD-related DAs such as the PTCI; however, the association with depression was also strong. Further, our results are in line with those of a recent meta-analysis investigating the psychometric properties of the SST (Würtz et al, 2022).…”

“…Moving in a more trauma-related direction, the SST has also been successfully adapted to assess DAs in the context of negative life events (Viviani, Mahler et al, 2018). In the study by Viviani et al, the SST score was associated with questionnaire measures of DAs related to the event and symptoms of depression.…”