This study evaluated the current DSM-IV conceptualization of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It examined predictors (i.e., event, person, and cognitive characteristics) and the factor structure of PTSD symptoms for events that do and do not meet criterion A. Event, person, and cognitive variables included in this study explained 47% of the variance in PTSD symptoms for the criterion A group and 56% of the variance in PTSD symptoms for the noncriterion A group. In both groups, cognitive variables explained the majority of variance in PTSD symptom severity. Although predictors of PTSD symptoms varied for criterion A and non-qualifying events, the factor structure was similar, suggesting that trauma responses to nonqualifying events may look very similar to trauma responses to criterion A events. This study suggests that a reevaluation of the diagnostic criteria for PTSD is warranted.
","abstract_html":"<p>This study evaluated the current DSM-IV conceptualization of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It examined predictors (i.e., event, person, and cognitive characteristics) and the factor structure of PTSD symptoms for events that do and do not meet criterion A. Event, person, and cognitive variables included in this study explained 47% of the variance in PTSD symptoms for the criterion A group and 56% of the variance in PTSD symptoms for the noncriterion A group. In both groups, cognitive variables explained the majority of variance in PTSD symptom severity. Although predictors of PTSD symptoms varied for criterion A and non-qualifying events, the factor structure was similar, suggesting that trauma responses to nonqualifying events may look very similar to trauma responses to criterion A events. This study suggests that a reevaluation of the diagnostic criteria for PTSD is warranted.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Reiland, Sarah"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)","degree_level":"Open Access Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Psychology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Dean Lauterbach, Ph.D.","Ellen Koch, Ph.D.","Norman Gordon, Ph.D."],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2010,"date_issued":"2010-06-25T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2010-06-25T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:16:36Z","subjects":["PTSD","trauma","cognitive predictors of PTSD","criterion A","factor structure","resilience","Psychology"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://commons.emich.edu/theses/289","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Dean Lauterbach, Ph.D.","Ellen Koch, Ph.D.","Norman Gordon, Ph.D."]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Reiland, Sarah"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2010-11-18T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Psychology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Open Access Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["PTSD","trauma","cognitive predictors of PTSD","criterion A","factor structure","resilience","Psychology"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/289"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This study evaluated the current DSM-IV conceptualization of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It examined predictors (i.e., event, person, and cognitive characteristics) and the factor structure of PTSD symptoms for events that do and do not meet criterion A. Event, person, and cognitive variables included in this study explained 47% of the variance in PTSD symptoms for the criterion A group and 56% of the variance in PTSD symptoms for the noncriterion A group. In both groups, cognitive variables explained the majority of variance in PTSD symptom severity. Although predictors of PTSD symptoms varied for criterion A and non-qualifying events, the factor structure was similar, suggesting that trauma responses to nonqualifying events may look very similar to trauma responses to criterion A events. This study suggests that a reevaluation of the diagnostic criteria for PTSD is warranted.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Predictors of PTSD symptoms for criterion A and non-criterion A events"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Dean Lauterbach, Ph.D.","Ellen Koch, Ph.D.","Norman Gordon, Ph.D."],"dc:creator":["Reiland, Sarah"],"dc:date.available":["2010-11-18T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This study evaluated the current DSM-IV conceptualization of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It examined predictors (i.e., event, person, and cognitive characteristics) and the factor structure of PTSD symptoms for events that do and do not meet criterion A. Event, person, and cognitive variables included in this study explained 47% of the variance in PTSD symptoms for the criterion A group and 56% of the variance in PTSD symptoms for the noncriterion A group. In both groups, cognitive variables explained the majority of variance in PTSD symptom severity. Although predictors of PTSD symptoms varied for criterion A and non-qualifying events, the factor structure was similar, suggesting that trauma responses to nonqualifying events may look very similar to trauma responses to criterion A events. This study suggests that a reevaluation of the diagnostic criteria for PTSD is warranted.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/289"],"dc:subject":["PTSD","trauma","cognitive predictors of PTSD","criterion A","factor structure","resilience","Psychology"],"dc:title":["Predictors of PTSD symptoms for criterion A and non-criterion A events"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Psychology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Open Access Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:16:36Z"}