The Reality of Recovered Memories: Jane's Story

1. Jane is a 28-year old legal secretary who has struggled for years with problems of depression, low self-esteem, and an eating disorder. She entered therapy last year with Mike Green. When Mr. Green asked about her childhood, Jane said that she didn’t really remember all that much, especially from when she was very young. Mr. Green suggested that Jane’s symptoms were consistent with someone who had been sexually abused as a child. Jane denied this suggestion, but agreed to undergo some “memory work” to clarify her memories of early childhood. Using techniques of dream interpretation, “journalling”, and occasional hypnosis, Jane and her therapist worked together over the next 6 months to recover her early memories. Jane recovered detailed memories of physical and sexual abuse by her father and her uncle, starting when she was just over two years old and continuing until she was 16. Jane had completely repressed these memories, and had never told anyone about her ordeal. When Jane confronted her father and uncle, they denied the charges. Jane’s mother and younger sister also refuse to believe her, although her uncle’s daughter is supportive. There is no physical evidence left after over a decade, so it is Jane’s word against her family’s. Jane has now broken off all contact with her family, and is suing her father and uncle for physical and mental anguish. Are Jane’s memories likely genuine, or are they more likely false or exaggerated?

2. Are recovered memories grounds for conviction of child sexual abuse? Susan Beth Harvey

3. Definitions • Repressed Memories • Memories that are repressed or dissociated from consciousness and recovered at a later time (Madill & Holch, 2004) • Recovered Memories • A recalled memory that was previously repressed • False Memories • Recovered memories that did not transpire, but in which an individual strongly believes (Madill & Holch, 2004)

4. There are two sides to every story! • Ost (2003) • Two groups of people who carry opposite views: • Clinicians - Retrieval of long-forgotten memories is possible • Academics - Consequence of unacceptable, suggestive therapy

5. Retrieved Memories WERE Repressed Memories

6. Coping Mechanisms • Coping mechanisms – strategies that are activated by a traumatic event • Hunter (1997) • Out-of body experience • Conscious attempt to “blank out” • Imagination • Repression of and Recovery of memories go hand in hand

7. How are memories of traumatic events processed and retrieved? • Retrieval Inhibition • Brewin & Andrews (1998): active inhibitory processes • Johnson (1994) – supports partial amnesia

8. Documented Cases • Williams (1994): studied women who had documented cases of CSA • 33% still had no recall of the event • 16% claimed that at one time in their lives had no memory of it happening • Williams’ (1995) Follow-up Study • Compared current accounts of abuse (from the interviews) with the original documented accounts

9. Documented Cases (con’t) • Bull (1999) – Case study • Rachel came for individual psychotherapy • Rachel suffered depression, suicidal actions and wasn’t able to lead a normal life. • What implications does this have for this debate? • Strong evidence • Recalled her memories prior to entering therapy • Demonstrates retrieval inhibition: Jim was necessary for the memory to be recalled.

10. Recovered Memories ARE False Memories

11. False Memory Syndrome (FMS) • Many researchers support FMS • Especially if the memories arise after therapy without solid evidence • Kaplan & Manicavasagar (2001) • What is FMS? • Features of FMS

12. Are memories concrete? • The Shopping Mall Experiment (Loftus and Ketcham, 1994, as cited in Pope, 1996). • Memories can be created/implanted • Drawbacks: not trauma • What role does ethics play here? • Childhood memories • When do we start really remembering?

13. Recovered Memory Therapy • Includes: repeated questioning, dream interpretation, journaling, group therapy, art therapy, hypnosis • Distrust amongst professionals in the field • Therapists that use RMT have many more cases of recovered CSA memories

14. Hypnosis • Scoboria et al. (2002) • Studied 111 participants’ hypnosis accuracy • Hypnosis increases production of incorrect responses • Greater sense of certainty • Greater suggestibility

15. Potential Graduate Supervisors • Dr. Albert Katz • University of Western Ontario, ON • Dept. of Psychology (Learning and Memory) • MA & PhD in Experimental Psychology • Dr. Don Read • Simon Fraser University, BC • Dept. of Psychology • MA & PhD in Experimental Psychology • Dr. Alan Scoboria • University of Windsor, ON • Dept. of Psychology • MA & PhD in Adult Clinical Psychology

16. Back to Jane • What kind of therapy was used? What are the disadvantages of this therapy? • Was the therapist neutral? • What social impact do accusations of CSA based on retrieved memories have? • Perhaps Jane is experiencing FMS. Do you think FMS should be included in the DSM? If so, under which category?

17. Let’s look at the Research Critically • Are theories of repressed memories able to be tested? • Have the theories of repressed memories been peer reviewed? • Is the rate of error in the studied high or low? • Is the theory generally accepted or discredited among the scientific community? SO, Should repressed memories be used as evidence in court?

18. References • Bull, D., (1999). A verified case of recovered memories of sexual abuse. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 53(2), 221-225. • Brewin, C., & Andrews, B. (1998). Recovered memories of trauma, phenomenology and cognitive mechanisms. Clinical Psychology Review, 18(8), 949-970. • Johnson, H., (1994). Processes of successful intentional forgetting. Psychological Bulletin, 116(2), 274-292. • Kaplan, R., & Manicavasagar, V. (2001). Is there a false memory syndrome? A review of three cases. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 12 (4), 342-348. • Knapp, S. & VandeCreek, L. (2000). Recovered memories of childhood abuse: Is there an underlying professional consensus? Professional Psychology: Research & Practice, 31(4), 365-371. • Madill, A. & Holch, P. (2004). A range of memory possibilities: The challenge of the false memory debate for clinicians and researchers. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 11, 299-310. • Ost, J. (2003). Seeking the middle ground in the ‘memory wars’. British Journal of Psychology, 94(1), 125-139. • Pope, K. (1996). Memory, abuse, and science: Questioning claims about the False Memory Syndrome epidemic [Online Version]. American Psychologist, 51 (9) • Scoboria, A., Mazzoni, G., Kirsch, I., & Milling L. (2002). Immediate and persisting effects of misleading questions and hypnosis on memory reports. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 8(1), 26-32. • Williams, L. (1994). Recall of childhood trauma: A prospective study of women’s memories of childhood sexual abuse. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 62(8), 1167-1176. • Williams, L. (1995). Recovered memories of abuse in women with documented child sexual victimization histories. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 8(4), 649-673.