Posted on March 5, 2009 by Debbie Ausburn

Recovered Memory Research

 
 
 
Psychological Science recently published an important and interesting new study of recovered memories of childhood trauma.  I have always been skeptical of claims of recovered memories, but there are good researchers on both sides of the question. The Psychological Science study offers a close look at the mechanics of recovered memories, and finds important differences in the ways that memories are triggered.

 

The researchers studied the formation of memories in two populations -- women who recovered memories of abuse after suggestive therapy techniques and those who recovered memories spontaneously after external triggers.  The study found that the women who recovered memories after suggestive therapy were more likely to form false memories of items presented during the study, while those with spontaneous recovery formed no more false memories than the control group.  The study also found that people in the latter group were more likely to forget previous memories, and to think erroneously that their most recent memory was the first one.

The study had some inevitable limitations and its findings need to be replicated.  Nevertheless, it is an important first step into understanding how recovered memories work, and how the triggering mechanism can affect, and even distort, memories.

Hat tip: Medical News Today

 
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