1. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 1 Lecture 21 – Psyco 350, B1 Winter, 2011 N. R. Brown

2. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 2 Outline 1.Recovered Memory Controversy Two Approaches Implanting False Memories Forgetting CSA A Third Approach 2.Memory Issues in PTSD Background

3. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 3 The Recovered Memory Controversy

4. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 4 1.Background: The False Memory Hypothesis 2.Implanting False Memory 3.Forgetting CSA 4.The “Middle Ground” Position The Recovered Memory Controversy

5. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 5 The Recovered Memory Controversy Background: Adults report “recovering” forgotten memories of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). Memories often recovered during therapy. Profound emotional & legal repercussions

6. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 6 The Recovered Memory Controversy Assumptions – The Recovered (“true”) Memory Position: traumatic memories can be repressed/suppressed recovery techniques produce valid memories of real events. recovering forgotten CSA memories has therapeutic value.

7. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 7 Question Assumptions Do/can people repress/suppress memories of CSA? Can recovery techniques produce false memories? Does memory recovering CSA memories have therapeutic value?

8. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 8 Theoretical Response

9. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 9 Lindsay & Read (1994) Memory is fallible & subject to distortion. Relevant Phenomena: Misinformation Effect – blend facts & suggestion Source Amnesia – forget source of information Imperfect Reality Monitoring – mistaking imagined events for real ones Reconstruction – past events reconstructed from fragmentary details and schematic knowledge.

10. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 10 Clinical Practice (circa, 1990) When CSA suspected, recovery techniques employed (over sessions) Techniques: guided imagery hypnosis dream interpretation survivors’ groups uncritical acceptance of claims

11. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 11 False Memories of CSA “Memory recovery techniques may lead some clients to create illusory memories.” -- Lindsay & Read Imagined and/or suggested events can take on a realistic vividness and detail w/ extensive memory work.

12. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 12 The False-Memory Hypothesis

13. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 13 False Memories of CSA Step 1 – create CSA story Step 2 – elaborate on CSA story (suggestion, imagery, interpretation, hypnosis, social facilitation) Step 3 – forget or mistake origin of CSA story (source amnesia, failed reality monitoring). Implication: It should be possible to create FM in the lab.

14. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 14 Implanting False Memories

15. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 15 Implanting FMs /w Narrative Hyman et al. (1995) Issue: Can FMs be implanted using clinical techniques? Method: Preparation: Solicit event descriptions from parents Materials: – 3 “real” event descriptions –1 “false” event description (spill punch bowl at wedding)

16. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 16 Hyman et al. (1995): Procedure Phase 1: –Recall as much as possible about each event & continue to reflect outside of lab. 2-day delay Phase 2 – repeat procedure Phase 3 – repeat procedure

17. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 17 Hyman et al. (1995): Results true memories increase across phases false memories increase across phases –Phase 2 FM = 25% Accessing background knowledge predicts FM –FMS for 11 or 30 Ss who accessed BK –FM for 2 of 21 Ss who did not access

18. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 18 Hyman et al (1995): Sample FM Background Knowledge

19. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 19 Hyman et al (1995): Sample FM

20. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 20 Hyman et al. (1995): Results Accessing background knowledge predicts FM –FMs for 11 or 30 Ss who accessed BK –FMs for 2 of 21 Ss who did not access BK Interpretation: suggestion + BK + source confusion  FM

21. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 21 Creating FMs w/ Photos: Wade, Garry, Read, Lindsay (2002) Method: 3 “real” childhood photos 1 doctored childhood photo Task: recall as much as possible three phases  1 week apart

22. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 22 Creating FMs w/ Photos: Wade, Garry, Read, Lindsay (2002) Results for False Photos: 1 st Interview: 30% FMs 3 nd interview: 50% FM Conclusion: Photos compiling for support of generating false event and accept false memory.

23. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 23 Implanted False Memories

24. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 24 Three Stages Required to Implant FMs Hyman & Loftus (1998) 1.Plausibility Assessment/acceptance source (family, experts) content (likelihood, consequentiality) 2.Memory Construction (creation of a plausible imagined event) Actively relate proposed event to self-knowledge Imagery, journaling, dream interpretation 3.Source Monitoring Error. Situational/social demands Delay Repetition

25. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 25 Implanting FMs FM research: demonstrates FMs can be implanted refines techniques for creating FMs Ethical Question: Is it time for a moratorium on this type of work?

26. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 26 Forgetting CSA

27. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 27 A Prospective Study: Williams (1994) Participants: 129 women contacted 17 yrs after reported sexual abuse Age at report: 10 months to 12 years Task: 3 hr interview – questions about –sexual history. –NOTE: “Index” event not specifically probed

28. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 28 Williams (1994): Results 38% failed report index event –suggest repression-based forgetting of CSA very common. Victim-perpetrator relation affected recall –by-stranger (82%) > by-relative (53%) recall  as degree of force  Younger victims less likely to recall event

29. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 29 All respondents 129 – 100% remembered 80 – 62% not remembered 49 – 38%

30. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 30 Williams (1994): Decomposing the Non-responses 38% failed to report index event.

31. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 31 All respondents 129 – 100% remembered 80 – 62% not remembered 49 – 38% other abuse 33 – 26% no other abuse 16 – 12%

32. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 32 Williams (1994): Decomposing the Non-responses 38% failed to report index event. But: 68% (33/49) of non-responders report other abuse. Non-repression based explanations schematization retrieval (motivational) failure coding mismatch

33. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 33 All respondents 129 – 100% remembered 80 – 62% not remembered 49 – 38% other abuse 33 – 26% no other abuse 16 – 12% under 3 yrs 5 – 4% 3 or older 11 – 8.5%

34. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 34 Williams (1994): Decomposing the Non-responses Thus, “Pure” failure to report CSA relatively uncommon (8.5%): “failure to report” may reflect: willingness to disclose forgetting

35. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 35 Prospective Study – Replication Goodman et al (2003) n = 168; failure to report = 10% Alexander et al (2005) Memory for CSA  w/ severity of trauma

36. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 36 FMs can be implanted. CSA can be forgotten, but generally is not. Main Points

37. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 37 A Third Perspective

38. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 38 1.Repressed Memory View –Traumatic Dissociative Amnesia underlies ALL recovered memories. 2.False Memory View –ALL recovered memories are implanted 3.Middle Ground (Schooler, McNally, Geraerts) –CSA events can be forgotten and later recalled –Repression/dissociative processes not required/involved Three Views

39. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 39 Three States re: CSA memory 1. Continuous Memory Discontinues Memories 2. Spontaneous recovery 3. During-therapy recovery Middle Ground

40. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 40 Corroborated case studies exist (Schooler) Between-group corroboration rates (Geraerts et al, 2007) 45% -- continuous group (n=71) 37% -- spontaneous group (n=41) 0% -- recall-in-therapy group (n=16) Rated-surprise: spontaneous >> recalled-in-therapy Middle Ground: Evidence

41. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 41 Modal nature of recovered abuse event Victim’s age: 7 or 8 Non-violent molestation Perpetrator: close relative (Recalled) initial reaction –“confused and upset, but not terrified” –“not fully understood… as sexual abuse.” Characteristics of Spontaneous Recovery (McNally, 2007)

42. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 42 T 1 –CSA little understood/discussed. CSA “forgotten” like other past events T 2 –Context-cued recovery of CSA event –CSA understood as abuse, leading to... –“intense emotional distress” “Normal” Spontaneous Recovery of CSA

43. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 43 Assumptions: CSA is always traumatic Normally, traumatic events are NOT forgotten CSA events sometimes forgotten Therefore: 1.Forgetting can’t be “normal” 2.So a special forgetting process must evoked by CSA The Logic of Repression

44. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 44 Assumptions: CSA is NOT always traumatic Memory for non-traumatic events is normally discontinuous. CSA events sometimes forgotten Therefore: 1.Forgetting can be “normal” 2.So a special forgetting process need NOT be evoked by CSA events The Logic of “Middle Ground”

45. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 45 Traumatic events are well remembered. Continuous memory for CSA is normal. CSA can be forgotten & recovered. Repression/dissociation not required. Spontaneous CSA memories more credible than recalled-in-therapy memories. Because, memory recovery techniques can produce false memories. Summary: A Cognitive Perspective on Recovered Memories

46. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 46 Post-traumatic Stress Disorder: Background

47. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 47 DSM-IV Criterion A The person has been exposed to a traumatic event in which both of the following have been present: (1 – The Event) The person experienced, witnessed, or was confronted with an event or events that involved actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of self or others (2 – Peritraumatic Reaction) the person's response involved intense fear, helplessness, or horror.

48. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 48 DSM-IV Criteria B-F B. reexperiencing of the traumatic event C. avoidance of stimuli associated w/ trauma and numbing of general responsiveness D. increased arousal E.symptoms present for more than 1 month F.clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning

49. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 49 Prevalence Traumatic events “common” –In US, experienced by 50%-60% of population PTSD symptoms in ≈ 10% of population

50. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 50 Risk Factors Previous Traumatic Experiences History of Abuse Family History of PTSD or Depression History of Substance Abuse Poor Coping Skills Lack of Social Support Ongoing Stress Sex Neuroticism

51. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 51 Comorbidity Slide 51

52. Psyco 350 Lec #21 – Slide 52 D-R Model predicts: PTSD  w/ severity of trauma. “The relationship between dosage of trauma and resultant psychopathology is far from straight forward.” – McNally, 2003, p, 223 Possible reasons: –Nonlinear relation –Problems w/ retrospective self-report (distorted/biased estimates of dosage). The Dose-Response Model

53. Psyco 350 Lec #21– Slide 53 Estimation bias & strategy related We know: –memory contents restrict strategy selection If mental state affects strategy selection, then dose estimates may be systematically biased. Estimation Theory Meets PTSD