Clifton, Claire2023-06-262023-06-262023-05https://hdl.handle.net/11299/254824A Plan B Research Project submitted to the faculty of University of Minnesota Duluth by Claire Clifton in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts, May 2023. This item has been modified from the original to redact the signature present.Tonic immobility is a phenomenon that causes an inability to move or react during a survival event that is perceived as inescapable. This phenomenon is particularly noted during sexual assault. Past research has also established a relationship between tonic immobility and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), especially in those who have experienced sexual assault. Various theories explain how the inability to resist the rape caused by tonic immobility might contribute to development and maintenance of PTSD. One possibility pertains to the rape myth that survivors are responsible for physically resisting rape. The cognitive model posits that the inability to resist the rape caused by tonic immobility might contribute to development and maintenance of PTSD via self-blame cognitions. The aim of this study was to examine the role that self-blame and rape myths play in the relationship between tonic immobility and PTSD. Sexual assault survivors completed measures online assessing demographic and assault characteristics, tonic immobility, self-blame, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and rape myth acceptance. Using a moderated mediation analysis, this study examined the role of self-blame as a mediating variable in the development of PTSD after tonic immobility and rape myth acceptance as a moderator of that mediation. Findings indicated mediation of the tonic immobility and PTSD relationship by self-blame. The role of resistance-related rape myths as a moderator was not supported, suggesting that other mechanisms better explain the development of self-blame after tonic immobility.Plan Bs (project-based master's degrees)Master of ArtsMaster of Arts in Psychological ScienceClinical Counseling trackDepartment of PsychologyCollege of Education and Human Service ProfessionsUniversity of Minnesota DuluthScholarly Text or Essay