The curse of imagery: Trait object and spatial imagery differentially relate to trauma and stress outcomes

Imagery is integral to autobiographical memory (AM). Past work has highlighted that the benefits of high trait imagery on episodic AM include faster, more detailed, and more vivid retrieval. However, these advantages may come with drawbacks: following stressful/traumatic events, strong imagery could promote the intrusions characteristic of PTSD. We examined relationships between trait object imagery (e.g., form, size, shape), spatial imagery (e.g., spatial relations, locations), and PTSD symptoms using self-report measures with two independent samples: trauma-exposed adults (n = 936) and undergraduates (n = 493). Higher object imagery was associated with more PTSD symptoms in both samples. There was also evidence that higher spatial and schematic processing was associated with fewer PTSD symptoms, although this effect was confined to men in one of the two samples. Different forms of imagery have different—or even opposing—relationships with episodic AM, which impacts trauma and stress outcomes.