Trigger warnings have little or no benefit in diminishing the impact of potentially disturbing material, according to research in Clinical Psychological Science. Researchers asked U.S. trauma survivors, including those with diagnoses of post-traumatic stress disorder, to read a series of potentially disturbing literary passages. Prior to reading, about half received trigger warnings, while the other half did not. The researchers found that trigger warnings had little effect on participants’ self-reported anxiety after reading each passage, even when the passages were similar to the survivor’s trauma. However, results indicated that trigger warnings reinforced survivor’s ideas that their trauma was central to their lives. (Monitor on Psychology)

Susie Bean Gives