2002 00 00 Journal of Abnormal Psychology - Vol 111 No 3 - Susan Clancy

Magazine Overview

This article, "Memory Distortion in People Reporting Abduction by Aliens," published in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology, Volume 111, Issue 3 in 2002, investigates the phenomenon of false memory creation in individuals who report experiences of alien abduction. The study, conducted by Susan A. Clancy, Richard J. McNally, Daniel L. Schacter, Mark F. Lenzenweger, and Roger K. Pitman, utilizes a modified Deese/Roediger-McDermott paradigm to assess memory distortion.

Background and Controversy

The article begins by contextualizing the study within the ongoing debate surrounding recovered memories of childhood sexual abuse. It acknowledges the perspective that trauma can lead to amnesia, with mechanisms like repression and dissociation proposed for the inaccessibility of these memories. However, it also presents the skeptical view that memory is constructive, susceptible to the creation of illusory memories, and that therapies aimed at recovering repressed memories may inadvertently foster false ones. This controversy has spurred research into false memory creation.

The Deese/Roediger-McDermott Paradigm

The study employs a variant of the Deese/Roediger-McDermott paradigm, originally developed by Deese (1959) and later modified by Roediger and McDermott (1995). In this paradigm, participants are presented with lists of words semantically associated with a single, non-presented theme word. Following list presentation, they undergo recall and recognition tests. False recall occurs when a participant recalls a non-presented theme word, and false recognition occurs when a participant incorrectly claims to have studied a non-presented theme word.

Study Design and Participants

The researchers examined three groups:
1. Recovered Memory Group: Individuals who reported "remembering" alien abduction experiences after a period of amnesia.
2. Repressed Memory Group: Individuals who believed they had been abducted by aliens but had no autobiographical memories of the events, basing their beliefs on signs and symptoms.
3. Control Group: Individuals who denied any history of abduction by aliens.

Participants were recruited through newspaper notices. Group assignments were confirmed through interviews.

Hypotheses

Four primary hypotheses were tested:
1. The recovered memory group would exhibit higher false recall and recognition than the repressed memory and control groups combined.
2. The repressed and recovered memory groups combined would show higher false recall and recognition than the control group.
3. The recovered memory group would show the highest false recall and recognition, followed by the repressed memory group, and then the control group.
4. The recovered and repressed groups would score higher than controls on measures of schizotypy (Perceptual Aberration, Magical Ideation, Referential Thinking scales).

Subsidiary hypotheses explored the relationship between psychometric measures, false memory creation, and group status.

Measures and Materials

• Participants completed several psychometric measures, including:
• Civilian Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
• Beck Depression Inventory
• Dissociative Experiences Scale
• Absorption subscale of the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire
• Attitudes, Feelings, and Experiences Survey (including measures of schizotypy: Perceptual Aberration, Magical Ideation, Referential Thinking, and Paranoid Schizophrenia scales).

The materials included a modified version of the Deese/Roediger-McDermott paradigm with 24 study lists of varying lengths (0, 3, 6, 9, 12, or 15 semantic associates).

Procedure

Participants were given booklets for recall tests and completed distractor math problems. Words were presented audibly at a rate of one word every 3 seconds. After each list, participants performed a recall task. Following all study lists, an 80-item recognition test was administered, including studied words, false targets (critical lures), and control words.

Results

• The study found that:
• There were no significant differences among the groups on the 0-item semantic associate lists (control for guessing).
• False Recognition: The recovered memory group showed significantly higher false recognition rates than the control group (Hypothesis 1 partially supported).
• False Recall and Recognition: Both the recovered and repressed memory groups combined exhibited significantly higher false recall and false recognition rates than the control group (Hypothesis 2 supported).
• False Recall and Recognition Hierarchy: The recovered memory group showed the highest false recall and recognition, followed by the repressed memory group, and then the control group (Hypothesis 3 supported).
• Schizotypy Measures: The recovered and repressed groups scored higher than the control group on the Perceptual Aberration and Magical Ideation scales (Hypothesis 4 partially supported).
• True Recall and Recognition: The groups did not differ in their true recall or true recognition rates, suggesting the differences were specific to false memory.
• Predictors of False Memory: The Absorption subscale, Beck Depression Inventory, and Magical Ideation scale were significant predictors of both false recall and false recognition. Dissociative Experiences Scale and Civilian Mississippi scores were marginally associated with false recall.

Discussion

The findings indicate that individuals reporting recovered memories of alien abduction are more prone to memory distortion, specifically false recall and recognition. The fact that true recall and recognition rates were similar across groups suggests that the deficit is not in memory accuracy itself, but in the susceptibility to generating false memories. The study posits that individuals prone to developing false memories in laboratory settings may also be susceptible to developing false memories of experiences that were suggested or imagined, potentially influenced by cultural scripts or therapeutic suggestions.

The study acknowledges limitations, including small sample sizes and the lack of formal screening for other types of trauma. However, it notes that the findings are consistent with research linking schizotypy and UFO beliefs, and that the memory deficits observed were specific to false recall and recognition, not general memory impairments.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The article engages with the controversial topic of recovered memories, particularly in the context of alien abduction experiences, which are often dismissed by the scientific community. It highlights the psychological mechanisms that may contribute to the formation of false memories, such as source monitoring errors and the influence of suggestion. The study's findings align with a skeptical perspective on the reliability of certain types of memory recall, suggesting that even seemingly vivid memories can be distorted or entirely fabricated, especially when influenced by external suggestion or pre-existing beliefs. The research contributes to the understanding of memory fallibility and the psychological factors that may predispose individuals to developing false memories, particularly in the context of unusual or extraordinary claims.