False Memory Syndrome Foundation - Vol 02 No 04 - 1993 april

Magazine Overview

This issue of the FMS Foundation Newsletter, dated April 6, 1993, focuses on the complex and often contentious topic of false memories, particularly in relation to accusations of child sexual abuse. The newsletter features personal accounts, expert opinions, and critiques, aiming to shed light on the phenomenon and its impact on families and the therapeutic community.

Letters and Personal Accounts

The issue opens with a letter from a mother who questions how families cope with children who have cut off contact due to accusations, highlighting the difficulty of reconciling past and present.

Another section details a call from a woman who, after hearing about FMSF, concluded that her own "repressed memories" and multiple personalities were false, a conclusion shared by two other women in her town who had undergone similar therapy. This account underscores the idea that "it all went too far for belief."

A significant portion of the newsletter is dedicated to the "Case of the Missing Therapist," where a father seeks information about a therapist who allegedly convinced his daughter of past abuse, leading to estrangement from her family. The newsletter appeals for information to penetrate "professional confidentiality" and identify such therapists.

"A Sister's Story" provides a deeply personal narrative of a woman whose sister's accusations of childhood sexual abuse against their father led to immense family turmoil. The sister recounts her initial belief in her sister's recovered memories, her own doubts, and the eventual realization that her daughter might also be at risk. The story illustrates the devastating impact of such accusations and the emotional journey of navigating them, ultimately leading to a reconciliation with her father and a hope for healing.

Another personal account, "A Mother," expresses the ongoing grief and difficulty in processing the loss of a child, comparing it to a never-ending process.

Analysis of Therapy and Memory Recovery

The article "What is Responsible Therapy?" critiques the practices of some psychiatrists, citing an experience where a psychiatrist allegedly made no judgments about historical accuracy and lacked time to review medical records. It draws an analogy to oncology, questioning the validity of diagnosing and treating based solely on patient accounts without corroborating evidence.

The newsletter reviews Renee Fredrickson's book, "Repressed Memories: A Journey to Recovery from Sexual Abuse," and questions the scientific basis for several of its claims, such as the idea that amnesia about childhood is indicative of repressed memories and that such memories run in families. It also highlights potentially suggestive therapeutic techniques described in the book, like "leading questions" and picturing past events.

Critiques and Scientific Scrutiny

The "Our Critics" section addresses responses to the FMS Foundation and its name. It includes a letter to Paul Ekman and Roger Shepard regarding the term "syndrome," defending its use by the foundation as a collection of reproducible features deriving from a common cause. The foundation argues that the term "false memory syndrome" is satisfactory for emphasizing the existence of a condition that needs consideration.

The newsletter also discusses criticisms from Dr. Judith Herman, who views FMSF as an advocacy group and estimates that only a small percentage of parents involved might be innocent. The FMSF questions how such estimates are made without access to evidence.

Dr. Richard Kluft is quoted as disparaging the foundation's stance as "intellectual know-nothingism" and an "excessively militant attack." The newsletter challenges these characterizations and seeks clarification.

Legal and Statistical Considerations

The issue delves into the legal aspects of "expert testimony" and the "Frye test" concerning the admissibility of scientific evidence, noting that "false memory syndrome" currently lacks general acceptance in the scientific community.

"More on Victims Compensation Funds" examines statistics from Washington and California, highlighting the significant discrepancy in payments awarded for "repressed memory" cases compared to other types of sexual assault. It questions the disproportionate allocation of funds to therapists and the validation process for these claims.

The newsletter raises concerns about inflated statistics in social problems promotion, using the example of "missing children" statistics to illustrate how activist-driven numbers can vastly differ from actual data. It advocates for reliable data collection methods.

Filing Complaints and Resources

Page 9 provides detailed information on filing complaints against mental health professionals in California, listing relevant state programs and licensing boards. It also lists national organizations such as the American Psychological Association and the American Psychiatric Association.

Meetings and Conferences

The final pages list upcoming meetings and events sponsored by or related to the FMS Foundation across various states, including Arizona, Michigan, California, Wisconsin, and a national conference in Philadelphia. It also provides subscription information for the newsletter and lists members of the FMSF Scientific and Professional Advisory Board.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The overarching theme of this newsletter is a critical examination of the "false memory syndrome" phenomenon. The FMS Foundation positions itself as an organization seeking to understand and address the potential harms caused by certain therapeutic practices that may lead to the creation or reinforcement of false memories. The editorial stance is one of skepticism towards unsubstantiated claims of recovered memories, particularly when they lead to family estrangement and significant financial implications through victim compensation. The newsletter actively encourages critical thinking, questioning of therapeutic methods, and a demand for scientific evidence, while also providing resources for those affected by these issues. It appears to advocate for a more cautious and evidence-based approach to memory recovery and accusations of past abuse.

This document is a reprint of a New York Times article from April 6, 1993, titled 'Studying the Secrets Of Childhood Memory,' written by Daniel Goleman. It explores new research challenging traditional views on infantile amnesia, particularly Freud's theory of repression.

Infantile Amnesia Re-examined

The article presents research, notably from Dr. Judith Hudson of Rutgers University, suggesting that the inability of adults to recall memories from their earliest years (infantile amnesia) is not due to repressed traumas but rather to the developmental acquisition of cognitive skills. Psychologists now believe that the ability to form lasting childhood memories depends on mastering skills of attention, thought, and language, typically around the age of 3 or 4. Children younger than this do not retain memories of specific episodes because these crucial abilities have not yet emerged.

Dr. Robyn Fivush, a psychologist at Emory University, notes that while children as young as 2 can form memories, these are often fragmentary and do not last into adulthood. The research indicates that toddlers learn to shape events into a narrative, a form necessary for later retrieval, through conversations with adults about past experiences. This process of constructing an 'autobiographical memory' begins as children develop the language skills to represent events to themselves and others.

The Role of Language and Storytelling

Dr. Ulric Neisser, a psychologist at Emory, highlights that young children are not typically focused on the past. However, when prompted about specific events, like a visit to a relative's house, they can recall details. The key question is why these early memories fade by adulthood. The answer lies in distinguishing between different types of memory: generic memory (general attributes of situations), episodic memory (specific events), and autobiographical memory (the narrative of one's life).

Autobiographical memory is built from specific, meaningful episodes. Research by Dr. Katherine Nelson, published in Psychological Science, suggests that children begin weaving together autobiographical memory around age 3-4. Parents play a crucial role by implicitly modeling how to construct stories with a beginning, middle, and end. By age 3-4, children reach a critical level of language ability, making words the primary medium for representing life events.

Dr. Fivush's research found that children whose parents embellished details of past incidents had better memories for those events. This suggests that the act of narrating and elaborating on experiences is vital for their retention. Dr. Neisser also points out that children begin to understand that events can be viewed from multiple perspectives around age 4, which may contribute to more thorough memory encoding.

Photos and Discussions: A Hindrance?

Interestingly, the study found that frequently seeing an event in a photo or discussing it often with others did not necessarily improve how well it was remembered in the long term. In some cases, discussing an event with a very young child might even interfere with its storage in memory, according to findings by Dr. Neisser and JoNell Adair. Their study of college students indicated that events enshrined in family stories or accompanied by photos were remembered less well than those without such aids, unless the events were highly significant.

Revising the Autobiography and Symbolic Meaning

Studies relying solely on adults' recollections of earliest memories are problematic due to the difficulty in dating them accurately or distinguishing true memories from imagined ones. Dr. Judith Hudson's research with her daughter Rachel showed that memories recalled at age 2 faded over time, and Rachel later recalled a different 'earliest memory' (a pretend game) that was more symbolically significant to her than the actual Disneyland trip she experienced at 25 months.

This aligns with the idea proposed by Alfred Adler, a psychoanalyst, that a person's earliest memory is often rife with symbolic meanings. Experts now believe that autobiographical memory is a dynamic narrative that is revised over the years, with certain memories being highlighted and others fading to support current self-perceptions or emotional preoccupations. For instance, a memory of being lost might reflect underlying issues of dependency and autonomy.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The article's central theme is the redefinition of infantile amnesia, moving away from Freudian repression towards a cognitive and developmental explanation. It emphasizes the critical role of language acquisition, social interaction, and narrative construction in forming lasting childhood memories. The research presented challenges earlier assumptions and suggests that the earliest memories we retain are often those that hold symbolic importance, reflecting our developing sense of self and life's major themes.