Iatrogenic creation of false childhood sexual abuse memories: Controversy, dynamics, fantasy, and reality

The term "false memories" has been used to refer to suggestibility experiments in which whole events are apparently confabulated and in media accounts of contested memories of childhood abuse. Since 1992 psychologists have increasingly used the term "false memory" when discussing memory errors for details, such as specific words within lists. Use of the term to refer to errors in details is a shift in language away from other terms used historically (e.g., "memory intrusions"). We empirically examine this shift in language and discuss implications of the new use of the term "false memories." Use of the term presents serious ethical challenges to the data-interpretation process by encouraging over-generalization and misapplication of research findings on word memory to social issues.

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Iatrogenic creation of false childhood sexual abuse memories: Controversy, dynamics, fantasy, and reality

Abstract: This paper examines the phenomenon of False Memory Syndrome (FMS

Cited by 2 publications

References 23 publications

The acute effects of classic psychedelics on memory in humans

The acute effects of classic psychedelics on memory in humans

What's in a Name for Memory Errors? Implications and Ethical Issues Arising From the Use of the Term "False Memory" for Errors in Memory for Details

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