Jennifer J. Freyd Research Interests

for potential applicants to the graduate program

Department of Psychology, University of Oregon

I am not able to accept any additional graduate students for Fall 2012. My apologies.

Jennifer J. Freyd (Psychology of Trauma)

Dr. Freyd her students investigate the causes and impact of interpersonal violence on mental and physical health, behavior, and society.  Freyd’s research with both adult and child participants investigates predictions made by betrayal trauma theory.  Analysis of evolutionary pressures and developmental needs suggests that victims of abuse may remain completely or partially unaware of abuse and betrayal, not to reduce suffering, but rather to maintain an attachment with a person (or institution) vital to survival, development, and thriving. Highlighting social relations and trust as central to traumatic stress has challenged existing beliefs about the psychology of trauma and generates novel testable predictions. Current projects include studies of betrayal trauma as it relates to dissociation in children, gender differences in mental health, shame proneness, borderline personality characteristics, hallucinations, self-injury, revictimization, generosity, appraisals of traumatic events, disclosures of abuse, physical health problems, and institutional betrayal.

Sample of Recent Publications:

Tang, S.S., & Freyd, J.J.  (in press). Betrayal trauma and gender differences in posttraumatic stress.  Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy.

DePrince, A.P, Brown, L.S., Cheit, R.E., Freyd, J.J., Gold, S.N., Pezdek, K. & Quina, K (2012). Motivated forgetting and misremembering: Perspectives from Betrayal Trauma Theory.  In Belli, R. F. (Ed.), True and False Recovered Memories: Toward a Reconciliation of the Debate (Nebraska Symposium on Motivation 58) (pp 193-243). New York: Springer.

Goldsmith, R., Freyd, J.J., & DePrince, A.P. (2012) Betrayal trauma: Associations with psychological and physical symptoms in young adults.  Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 27, 547-567.

Foynes, M.M. & Freyd, J.J.  (2011). The Impact of Skills Training on Responses to the Disclosure of Mistreatment. Psychology of Violence, 1, 66-77.

Hulette, A.C., Kaehler, L.A., & Freyd, J.J. (2011).  Intergenerational associations between trauma and dissociation.  Journal of Family Violence, 26, 217-225.

More information about JJ Freyd:

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