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DISTINGUISHING TRUE
FROM FALSE MEMORIES:
NEED FOR CORROBORATION
"It is not known how to distinguish, with complete
accuracy, memories based on true events from those derived from other
sources."
American Psychiatric Association,
Statement on Memories of Sexual Abuse, 1993.
"The AMA considers recovered memories of childhood sexual abuse to be of uncertain
authenticity, which should be subject to external verification."
American Medical Association, Council on
Scientific Affairs,
Memories of Childhood Sexual Abuse, 1994.
"The available scientific and clinical evidence does not allow
accurate, inaccurate, and fabricated memories to be distinguished in the absence of independent
corroboration."
Australian Psychological Society,
Guidelines Relating to the Reporting of Recovered Memories, 1994.
"At present there are no scientifically valid criteria that would generally permit
the reliable differentiation of true recovered memories of sexual abuse from
pseudomemories."
Michigan Psychological Association,
Recovered Memories of Sexual Abuse: MPA Position Paper, 1995.
"At this point it is impossible, without other corroborative
evidence, to
distinguish a true memory from a false one."
American Psychological Association,
Questions and Answers about Memories of Childhood Abuse, 1995.
"Psychologists acknowledge that a definite conclusion that a memory is based on
objective reality is not possible unless there is incontrovertible corroborating
evidence."
Canadian Psychological Association,
Position Statement on Adult Recovered Memories of Childhood Sexual Abuse. 1996.
HYPNOSIS AND MEMORY
RECOVERY TECHNIQUES
"The Council finds that recollections obtained during
hypnosis can involve confabulations and pseudomemories and not only fail to be more
accurate, but actually appear to be less reliable than nonhypnotic recall."
American Medical Association, Council on
Scientific Affairs,
Scientific Status of Recollections by the Use of Hypnosis. 1985.
"Psychiatrists are advised to avoid engaging in any memory recovery
techniques'
which are based upon the expectation of past sexual abuse of which the patient has no
memory. Such memory recovery techniques' may include drug-mediated
interviews, hypnosis,
regression therapies, guided imagery, 'body memories,' literal dream interpretation and
journaling. There is no evidence that the use of consciousness-altering
techniques, such
as drug- mediated interviews or hypnosis, can reveal or accurately elaborate factual
information about any past experiences including childhood sexual abuse. Techniques on
regression therapy including 'age regression' and hypnotic regression are of unproven
effectiveness."
Royal College of Psychiatrists,
Reported Recovered Memories of Child Sexual Abuse, 1997. (UK)
SYMPTOMS AS INDICATORS
OF PAST ABUSE
"There is no single set of symptoms which
automatically indicates that a person was a victim of childhood abuse. There have been
media reports of therapists who state that people (particularly women) with a particular
set of problems or symptoms must have been victims of childhood sexual
abuse. There is no
scientific evidence that supports this conclusion."
American Psychological Association,
Questions and Answers about Memories of Childhood Abuse, 1995.
"Psychologists recognize that there is no constellation of symptoms which is
diagnostic of child sexual abuse."
Canadian Psychological Association,
Position Statement on Adult Recovered Memories of Childhood Sexual Abuse, 1996.
"Previous sexual abuse in the absence of memories of these events cannot be
diagnosed through a checklist of symptoms."
Royal College of Psychiatrists,
Reported Recovered Memories of Sexual Abuse, (UK)
TRAUMATIC MEMORIES
"Most people who were sexually abused as children
remember all or part of what happened to them although they may not fully understand or
disclose it."
American Psychological Association,
Working Group on Investigation of Memories of Child Abuse, 1996.
"While traumatic memories may be different than ordinary
memories, we currently do
not have conclusive scientific consensus on this issue."
International Society for Traumatic Stress
Studies, Childhood Trauma Remembered:
A Report on the Current Scientific Knowledge Base and its Applications, 1996.
"Because exactly what is meant by the terms of 'repression' and 'dissociation' is
far from clear, their use has become idiosyncratic, metaphoric, and
arbitrary."
Scientific Advisory Board of the FMS
Foundation,
Statement on Recovered Memories, 1998.
GENERAL CAUTION
"The use of recovered memories is fraught with
problems of potential misapplication."
The American Medical Association, Council on
Scientific Affairs,
Memories of Childhood Sexual Abuse, 1994.
STATEMENTS THAT MAY
REFLECT
SUBSTANDARD PRACTICES:
- "You have the symptoms of someone who was abused."
- "Studies show that (or, my experience is that) most people with [fill in the
particular diagnosis or symptoms here] were sexually abused."
- "If you think you were abused, then you probably were."
- "Remembering is essential if you want to be healed."
- "This technique (hypnosis, guided imagery, sodium amytal, etc.) is designed to help
you remember."
- "Suing (forgiving, detaching from, etc.) your family is a necessary part of
healing."
- "You have to get worse before you get better."
- "Your body holds accurate memories of past events."
Statements That May Reflect Substandard
Practices.
Treating Patients with Memories of Abuse: Legal Risk Management.
Knapp, S.J. Ed. D. and VandeCreek, L. Ph.D. American Psychological Association, 1998
WHEN DEALING WITH
RECOVERED
MEMORIES KEEP IN MIND THAT:
"Research has shown that over time memory for events
can be changed or reinterpreted in such a way as to make the memory more consistent with
the person's present knowledge and/or expectations."
American Psychological Association, 1995
"Memories also can be significantly influenced by a trusted person."
American Psychiatric Association, 1994
"The AMA considers recovered memories of childhood sexual abuse to be of uncertain
authenticity, which should be subject to external verification."
American Medical Association, 1994
För mer information:
False Memory Syndrome Foundation
3401 Market Street, Suite 130
Philadelphia, PA 19104-3318
1-800-568-8882 or 215-387-1865
www.FMSFonline.org
www.APA.org (See "Questions and Answers about Memories of Childhood
Abuse")
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