Dual Representation Theory By Brewin

Dual representation theory by Brewin incorporates ideas from the information processing theory and social-cognitive theories. He proposes two types of memories because he believes that a single emotional memory is too narrow to describe the full range of the memory. The first type of memories is termed verbally accessible memories (VAM’s), which are conscious and can be deliberatively retrieved. The other type is situationally accessed memories (SAM’s). These are much more extensive memories of the event but cannot be deliberatively accessed., rather they are accessed automatically when a person is exposed to a stimulus associated with the trauma. This theory states that after a traumatic event, people often search for meaning, ascribe cause or blame, to resolve conflicts between the events and their beliefs (Resick, 2001). Many of the people impacted by Hurricane Katrina may feel this way after such a traumatic event. They may think “why did this happen to us?” According to this idea, these people might alter their memory of the event to accommodate the new information. Another impact is the re-experiencing the emotions of the trauma as a flashback.
One survivor of Katrina, seventeen years old, states that the thought of not knowing what would happen to her family stayed with her for years.
She gets scared during hurricane season. According to the dual representation theory, there are three endpoints to emotional processing. This outcome can be described as chronic emotional processing. This occurs when the event hasn’t been completely integrated and triggers occur often. She now explains that the event made her much stronger and has shaped her into who she is today. This particular survivor is in the completion/integration state. She has fully processed the trauma, she has resolved the conflicts between the trauma and her beliefs, and when her SAM’s are activated it do not cause a negative effect (Resick,
2001). Following the traumatic event, a person may need help processing their emotions. The dual representation theory states that our situationally accessed memories can be altered by pairing them with different states, such as relaxation. This will reduce the negative emotions the survivor may be feeling. Another survivor of Hurricane Katrina discusses how her family moved to a small town in Louisiana where people treated them poorly. She states that things were never the same or consistent in her life. In this situation, the survivor could use help to edit her memory to resolve conflicts between the event and their beliefs. A professional could help associate the survivor’s feeling of worthlessness and anger of the traumatic event with different conscious thoughts.