Date of Award
2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Psychology
Committee Chair and Members
Sara Haden, Committee Chair
Elizabeth Kudadjie-Gyamfi, Committee Member
Abstract
Numerous studies have examined the effects of trauma on emotion dysregulation or have focused primarily on childhood trauma. The present study aimed to understand the effects of trauma at different developmental stages: childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. The sample consisted of 201 participants, who were selected from a larger pool of participants who received course credit for completing this study. The results of this study revealed that trauma at all ages significantly and positively affects interpersonal difficulties, through emotion dysregulation as a positive mediator, as hypothesized. However, contrary to hypotheses, childhood trauma did not have a greater effect compared to adolescent trauma and adulthood trauma, as no significant differences were found between the effect sizes of these different developmental stages on interpersonal difficulties. Moreover, this study also explored different trauma types, and the results indicated emotional abuse had the most negative effect on both emotion dysregulation and interpersonal competence compared to other forms, while neglect, on the other hand, had the least effect on interpersonal difficulties.
Recommended Citation
Sompura, Parth Yogesh, "Early developmental wounds to interpersonal struggles: The role of emotion dysregulation" (2026). Selected Full-Text Master Theses 2021-. 59.
https://digitalcommons.liu.edu/brooklyn_fulltext_master_theses/59