Research Turns Memory Theory on Its Head

Libraries - Life News (Social and Behavioral Sciences)
Keywords: MEMORIES, PSYCHOLOGY

Description: Victims of traumatic events do not subconsciously
repress the memories but rather recall them with great clarity.

Newswise — Contrary to conventional thought dating back to Freud,
victims of traumatic events do not subconsciously repress the
memories but rather recall them with a clarity reminiscent of reality.

That startling finding comes from a five-year-study conducted by
researchers at Dalhousie University in Halifax. The same study,
funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of
Canada (SSHRC) concludes that people have much more difficulty
recalling pleasant memories than they do unpleasant.

Led by Associate Professor Steve Porter, of Dalhousie's Psychology
Department, the research team's findings will be of significant
interest, particularly within the criminal justice system where
victims' distant memories of assault, abuse and violence are often
discounted based on ideas associated with memory repression.

In the late 19th century, Sigmund Freud developed his famous theory
that, to cope with horrific events, people repress memories so their
painful effects won't have to be experienced over and over again.

Dr. Porter's research suggests the opposite; that victims can recall
details of traumatic events such as physical or sexual assault with
as much clarity as the day they happened.

"If Freud was right, these would be the kind of events that people
would try to push away," says Dr. Porter. "People tried to push them
away but were unable to do so. They were, in fact, haunted by what
they experienced."

On the other hand, the same study found people's recall of pleasant
memories — weddings, births, awards — wasn't nearly as good.

"The positive memories changed dramatically and began to look very
little like the event itself," says Dr. Porter. "So, if people start
to tell you about the good ol' days, you might want to take that with
a grain of salt."

The theory that memory of traumatic events is repressed has been a
staple of criminal defense lawyers for decades. Judges and juries,
wittingly and unwittingly subscribing to the conventional wisdom
would tend to doubt victims' recollections.

"We can expect that traumatic criminal experiences can be recalled
quite reliably over time," says Dr. Porter. "That doesn't mean there
won't be some level of distortion. But the central details will be
recalled quite well."

The study, to be published in the journal Psychological Science in
May, took place over five years. In 2000, researchers recorded the
memories of participants concerning both a traumatic and positive
memory. The participants were re-interviewed three months and five
years later.

Dr. Porter's research group included senior graduate student Kristine
Peace, graduate students Marcus Juodis and Sabrina Bellhouse, and
honours students Leanne ten Brinke and Laura England.

<http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/527502/?sc=rsln>