Abstract
The study of dissociative experiences has witnessed significant advancements since the publication of the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES) for the assessment of dissociation. The DES, a self-report instrument, is one of the most extensively used scales and has become fertile ground for research in clinical and nonclinical populations. The high level of dissociation observed in nonclinical populations has been ascribed to factors such as age, personality and cognitive factors. As certain types of activity or environments have been reported to be conducive to dissociation, the purpose of this study was to assess dissociative experiences in a sample of students from the Faculty of Fine Arts in comparison to a sample of students from the Faculty of Psychology. Significantly higher scores were obtained for students of Fine Arts. High scores were also observed in items that could be associated to a greater tendency towards fantasizing, imagination and absorption. The results are assessed in terms of the sociocognitive model.
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