Childhood Trauma and Its Impact on Cognitive Emotion Regulation and Metacognition: A Comparative Study

Authors: Melissa Mujicic, Mary Tiede

SUNY Campus: SUNY Brockport

Presentation Type: Poster

Location: Old Union Hall

Presentation #: 20

Timeslot: Session D 3:00-4:00 PM

Abstract: Previous literature suggests that trauma experienced during childhood is linked to various adverse outcomes, including physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2025), nearly 6 in 10 children under the age of 5 regularly suffer physical punishment and/or psychological violence from parents and caregivers. This study aimed to explore the relationships between childhood trauma and cognitive emotion regulation (i.e. positive reappraisal, self-blame), as well as metacognition (i.e. declarative knowledge and comprehension monitoring). It examined differences in these cognitive and metacognitive strategies between individuals who have and have not experienced childhood trauma. It is hypothesized that childhood trauma will negatively correlate with positive reappraisal and declarative knowledge and positively correlate with self-blame. Additionally, individuals who have experienced childhood trauma are expected to report lower levels of metacognitive awareness and poorer cognitive emotion regulation strategies compared to those who have not experienced such trauma. Using a correlational design, data was collected from students at a university in Upstate New York. Participants completed a Qualtrics survey that included questionnaires such as the MAI, CERQ, and CTQ. Various statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS, including descriptive statistics, correlational analyses, and independent sample t-tests. Results will be shared during the presentation, along with practical implications of the findings and suggestions for future research.