Separating False Recollection from True Memory: The Problem of False Memory Syndrome.
This 8-page, 5-source piece analyzes the so-called "Repressed Memory Syndrome." The author discusses how the issue is controversial in that as the so-called victims are winning large settlements in courts, the number of therapists and cases is rising dramatically. While most psychiatrists admit that repressing traumatic memories does indeed happen, many do not believe in the existence of Repressed Memory Syndrome. The makes this case by discussing a slew of psychiatric evidence, all of which suggests that memory is not absolute, memories can certainly be created, and that the tools therapists use to revive memories can actually help create them. The most damning evidence against RMS has been findings which suggest that the social and legal goals of the rememberer can influence memory. The author closes by arguing that more research needs to be done into how memories are created and how they can be distinguished from false ones, so that actual victims of child abuse need not be trivializes. 8 pgs. Bibliography lists 5 sources.
