Michael Verde

Memory and false memory

This seminar focuses on the controversy surrounding “recovered” memories of trauma and abuse, and the related problems of child witnesses and false memories of child abuse associated with the “satanic panic” of the 1990s. We will consider not only the scientific theories about the creation of true and false memories but also the ethical issues that arise in applying laboratory research to phenomena like child and sexual abuse.

Although the notion of repressed memory has its roots in 19th century Freudian theory, the modern concept of “recovered” memory starts with the case of Eileen Franklin. As an adult in the late 1980s, Franklin unexpectedly recovered long-repressed memories of her father murdering her childhood friend decades earlier. Subsequent cases of recovered memory have predominantly involved child sexual abuse. The question of whether recovered memories accurately reflect long-repressed experiences of trauma or are the result of flawed and dangerous therapeutic techniques remains open to debate.

The “satanic panic” of the 1990s refers to a multitude of cases in the US and UK of alleged child ritual abuse rings. The defining example is the McMartin Preschool case, where the staff of a daycare centre were accused of sexually abusing hundreds of children as part of satanic rituals. These accusations were eventually found to be false, inspiring a field of research into the susceptibility of children to false memories (including false memories of sexual abuse).

Format: Lectures mixed with some in-class discussion. Staying current with readings is essential. Exam topics will involve applying knowledge gained from lectures and readings to a novel case study.

Readings

Garven, S., Wood, J. M., Malpass, R. S., & Shaw, J. S., 3rd. (1998). More than suggestion: the effect of interviewing techniques from the McMartin Preschool case. Journal of Applied Psychology, 83(3), 347–359. https://doi-org.plymouth.idm.oclc.org/10.1037/0021-9010.83.3.347

Freyd, J. J., & Quina, K. (2000). Feminist ethics in the practice of science: The contested memory controversy as an example. In M. M. Brabeck (Ed.), Practicing feminist ethics in psychology (pp. 101–123). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/10343-005

Lindsay, D. S., & Read, J. D. (1994). Psychotherapy and memories of childhood sexual abuse: A cognitive perspective. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 8(4), 281–338. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1002/acp.2350080403