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Journal of Undergraduate Research

Keywords

traumatic brain injury, acquiring new learning, negative affect

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Psychology

Abstract

The goal of this project was to clarify the additive role that negative affect plays in the capacity for individuals with moderate-to-severe (M/S) traumatic brain injury (TBI) to acquire new learning. Traumatic brain injury is the leading cause of death and disability in the United States, affecting an estimated 1.7 million people annually. Traumatic brain injuries typically result in considerable long-term neurological disabilities such as deficits in attention, memory, and processing speed (Zaloshnja, Miller, Langlois, & Selassie, 2008). In addition, TBI survivors are significantly more likely to develop psychiatric disorders, including depression and anxiety, and attempt suicide at a higher rate than those without TBI (Silver, Kramer, Greenwald, & Weissman, 2001). Negative affect is a construct that describes the symptoms of affective distress that include both depression and anxiety symptoms (Clark & Watson, 1991). Negative affect may also impair new learning abilities (Dux et al., 2008). The combined deficits of TBI and negative affect may pose a substantial barrier to rehabilitation and helping TBI survivors to improve their quality of life. Despite the prevalence of depression and anxiety in individuals with TBI, this is the first study that we are aware of that addressed the effects negative affect has on the acquisition of new learning amongst TBI survivors. Acquiring new information (e.g. life skills, behavioral adaptations, learning, etc.) is a key function of TBI rehabilitation programs, and understanding how negative affect influences new learning capabilities in TBI survivors is an invaluable addition to the field of TBI rehabilitation research. This study has contributed knowledge that will help TBI survivors, caregivers, and clinicians more effectively manage and treat both emotional and cognitive deficits following injury.

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