Trauma and Memory Among Survivors of Urban Riots: A Cognitive Perspective

Nitin Agarwal

Independent Researcher

Uttarakhand, India

Abstract
Urban riots, as intense collective upheavals, impose profound psychological impacts on those who live through them. This study offers a comprehensive cognitive investigation into trauma and memory among survivors of the 2018 Metroville riots. Utilizing a convergent mixed-methods design, we assessed 100 adult survivors through standardized inventories—the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) and the Autobiographical Memory Questionnaire (AMQ)—and conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews. Quantitative analyses revealed a robust positive correlation between PTSD symptom severity and memory fragmentation (r = .62, p < .001), indicating that individuals with higher trauma symptoms experienced greater disruption in autobiographical recall. Qualitative thematic analysis uncovered four principal themes: temporal disorientation, sensory hyper-activation, narrative fragmentation, and identity alteration. Survivors described their memories as non-linear sequences of vivid sensory fragments, interspersed with prolonged gaps, often accompanied by shifts in self-perception. Drawing on dual-representation and narrative coherence frameworks, this paper situates urban riot trauma within existing cognitive models and emphasizes the need for tailored interventions. Specifically, narrative reconstruction techniques, such as Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET), paired with sensory grounding and contextual anchoring, are proposed to enhance the integration of fragmented memories into coherent autobiographical narratives.

Keywords
Trauma, Memory Fragmentation, Urban Riots, Cognitive Perspective, Narrative Coherence

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