Past research has found that the experiencing of a traumatic event can lead to detriments in lab‐based measures of cognitive abilities. However, there is only limited research on the impact of trauma on everyday cognitive functioning. In the current study, 13 Holocaust survivors completed measures of intrusive and avoidant thoughts concerning the Holocaust, the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire and a measure of lifetime physical health. The results revealed that intrusive thoughts predicted the frequency of everyday cognitive failures, whereas avoidance of Holocaust memories predicted lifetime physical health. These findings suggest that trauma not only affects lab‐based measures of cognitive abilities but also impacts everyday cognitive functioning.
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Adriel Boals (2008) studied this question.
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