Term
| Can memories be repressed? (Clinical opinion) |
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Definition
| Yes, many case studies show that it occurs |
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Term
| Can memories be repressed? (Researchers' opinions) |
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Definition
| No, repressed and recovered memories of traumatic events is a myth |
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Term
| The 1980's and 1990's controversy led to the examination of... |
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Definition
• Memory recovery therapy
• Self-help books (Ellen Bass and Laura Davis' The Courage to Heal) |
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Term
| Ellen Bass and Laura Davis' book |
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Definition
• The Courage to Heal
• "If you think you were abused and your life shows the symptoms, then you were." |
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Term
| Date of establishment of the False Memory Foundation |
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Definition
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Term
| Questions challenging experimental psychologists about false memories |
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Definition
• Can we empirically examine if people forget CSA
• Can false memories for entire autobiographical events be planted?
• What are the conditions under which false memories are more likely to be planted?
• What mechanisms account for the development of false memories?
• Who is susceptible to the development of false memories? |
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Term
| Do people "forget" child sexual abuse? |
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Definition
• Yes
• Linda Williams research
• Recent empirical research on memory repression - Dr. Gerkens' research (involves a list learning paradigm, so not very realistic) |
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Term
| Linda Williams' longitudinal study on childhood sexual abuse (1994) |
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Definition
• "Recall of childhood trauma: A prospective study of women's memories of child sexual abuse"
• Girls between the ages of 10 and 12 who were admitted to the hospital emergency room because of sexual abuse
• Williams' interviewed some of these women in what they believed was a follow-up of study
• The results showed that 38% of the women failed to report the abuse; 68% reported it |
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Term
| Loftus' "Lost in a Mall" study |
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Definition
• Demonstrated that false memories for entirely new events can be planted
• 24 adult participants received suggestions from a sibling that they had been lost in a mall as a child
• Results: 25% "remembered" the false event |
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Term
| Significance of Loftus' "Lost in a Mall" study |
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Definition
| For the first time, it was proven that whole memories of autobiographical traumatic events can be implanted in memory false |
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Term
| Pezdek, Finger, and Hodge's study on false memories (rectal enema) |
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Definition
• Participants were suggested 1 true event and 2 false childhood events
• Plausible event: Loftus' lost in a mall
• Implausible event: rectal enema
• Results: plausible event could be falsely implanted; implausible event could not |
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Term
| Significance of Pezdek, Finger, and Hodge's study on false memories (rectal enema) |
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Definition
| Proved that events can be planted in memory to the extent that the suggested event is plausible (i.e. there is a schema for the event) |
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Term
| Does imagining a non-experienced event increase the likelihood of developing a false memory? |
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Definition
• Yes
• Hyman and Pentland study of "punch bowl" memory |
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Term
| Hyman and Pentland study of "punch bowl" memory |
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Definition
• Procedure like Loftus' but added imagination
• Acceptance of "punch bowl" memory
• Control: just suggestion; 15%
• Imagination: guided imagery; 40%
• Imagination Inflation Effect
• Reveals memory source errors |
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Term
| Imagination Inflation Effect |
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Definition
• People misattribute familiarity with memory of it being true
• When visualizing, you are creating a memory trace, so later you think it really happened because it is familiar |
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Term
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Definition
| A person can't remember how a memory was implanted, so they mistake the familiarity with a real memory |
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Term
| Does imagining a non-experienced event increase the likelihood of developing a false memory even if people believe it to be implausible? |
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Definition
• Pezdek, Blandon-Gitlin, Gabbay study
• No |
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Term
| Pezdek, Blandon-Gitlin, Gabbay study on imagination + implausible events to create a false memory |
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Definition
• Participants took questionnaire, then imagined one plausible and one implausible event, then took the same questionnaire again
• People are more likely to have false beliefs if the event was plausible and imagined
• Imagination has no effect if event is implausible |
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Term
| Can photographs assist in developing false memories? |
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Definition
• Yes
• Wade et al. (2002) study of false photographs (hot air balloon event) |
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Term
| Wade et al. (2002) study on false photographs' effect on false memories |
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Definition
• Hot air balloon event
• False photographs = false memories
• By 3rd interview, 50% had a partial or full false memory |
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Term
| Can true photographs assist in developing false memories? |
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Definition
• Yes
• Lindsay et al. (2004) study of slime prank event |
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Term
| Lindsay et al. (2004) study of slime prank event |
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Definition
• False Memory: Slime prank event in kindergarten
• Picture was general (of class), not of prank
• True photographs = false memories
• By 2nd interview, 25% of no photo group had false memories; 65% of photo group had false memories |
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Term
| What do studies tell us about false memories? |
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Definition
• If event is plausible, about 25% will develop false memories
• Rate will increase to 65% if suggestive techniques are used |
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Term
| People who are susceptible to implanted memories are associated with |
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Definition
| • High scores on the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES) • "Extrovert" interviewers and "introvert" participants |
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Term
| Recovered child sexual abuse groups tend to have |
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Definition
• Higher Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES) scores than average
• More false memories |
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Term
| Can we empirically test if people forget child sexual abuse |
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Definition
• Maybe
• Williams' study - hospital records of CSA, but no report in interview
• Hard to do a study without suggestion |
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Term
| Can false memories for entire autobiographical events be planted? |
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Definition
• YES!
• Loftus' "Lost in a Mall" study
• Pezdek, Finger, and Hodge's study on false memories (rectal enema)
• Hyman and Pentland study of "punch bowl" memory |
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Term
| What are the conditions under which false memories are more likely to be planted? |
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Definition
• Event must be plausible
• Imagination increases likelihood
• Photographs increase likelihood |
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Term
| What mechanisms account for the development of false memories? |
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Definition
• Schemas
• Memory source errors
• Imagination inflation effect |
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Term
| Who is susceptible to the development of false memories? |
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Definition
• People with specific traits (introverts, high DED score)
• Children |
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Term
| Implications of the false memory research on the clinical profession |
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Definition
| • Multi-million dollar settlements |
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Term
| APA stance on false memories |
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Definition
• Based on the repots from The Working Group of Investigation of Memories of Childhood Abuse
• Believe more research needs to be done
• They do exist |
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