False Memory Syndrome Foundation - Vol 12 No 03 - 2003 mayjune

Magazine Overview

Title: FALSE MEMORY SYNDROME FOUNDATION NEWSLETTER
Issue Date: May/June 2003
Volume: 12, No. 3

This issue of the False Memory Syndrome Foundation Newsletter addresses recent developments in the recovered memory controversy, including new research, legal cases, and cultural portrayals.

Key Articles and Features

Remembering Trauma by Richard McNally

The newsletter highlights the release of Richard McNally's book, "Remembering Trauma," as a significant turning point in the research on recovered memories and trauma. The book is described as the most up-to-date, accurate, and comprehensive summary of the relevant psychological research, laying out arguments and studies from both sides of the controversy and exposing errors in thinking by proponents of recovered memory.

New Research on Memory and Trauma

Several new studies are presented:

• A prospective study by Daniel Salter and colleagues challenges the "cycle of abuse" myth, finding that only 11.6% of sexually abused children went on to abuse others as adults. Neglect and family violence were associated with repetition of sexual abuse.
• A study by Gail Goodman and colleagues tested the notion that memory mechanisms for highly traumatic events differ from normal memory processes. Their findings suggest that normal cognitive operations underlie long-term memory for child sexual abuse (CSA), not special mechanisms like repression or dissociation.
• "A Picture is Worth a Thousand Lies: Using False Photographs to Create False Childhood Memories" by Wade, Garry, Read, & Lindsay explored how doctored photographs can lead to the creation of false childhood memories. After viewing doctored pictures and guided imagery, 50% of subjects developed false memories, with details often originating from imagination and suggestion.
• "Imagination Can Create False Autobiographical Memories" by Mazzoni & Memon investigated whether imagining an event alters biographical memory and beliefs. The study found that imagination increased participants' convictions that an event had occurred and produced false memories.

Legal Developments

• Clergy Sex Abuse Scandal and Repressed Memory Cases: The newsletter discusses the New York Times' study on the priest sex-abuse scandal, noting that at least 100 legal suits had been brought against priests based on recovered memory claims since January 2002.
• U.S. Supreme Court Hears Important Statute of Limitations Case (Stogner v. California): This case could determine if states can revive previously expired statutes of limitations for criminal prosecutions. The article details the case of Marion Stogner, charged with molesting his daughters decades prior, and the constitutional questions surrounding retroactive changes to limitation laws.
• Jane Doe Sues Elizabeth Loftus: A lawsuit has been filed by Nicole Taus (identified as "Jane Doe") against researchers Elizabeth Loftus and Melvin Guyer, among others, alleging invasion of privacy, defamation, and infliction of emotional distress. The suit stems from an article in the Skeptical Inquirer that investigated a case study used to support the concept of repressed memories.

Case Studies and Personal Accounts

• Paul Ingram Released: The newsletter reports on the release of Paul Ingram, who confessed to being part of a satanic cult. His case, which ignited controversy, is presented as an example of suggestibility and false memories, with the original confession falling apart under scrutiny.
• "Really Abused" (Letter from a Mom): A mother shares her experience of genuine childhood sexual abuse, contrasting it with the recovered memory model and emphasizing the lasting impact of real trauma.
• "Son Returns As A Stranger" (Letter from a Mom): A mother describes her adult daughter's claims of recovered memories of severe abuse by family members, leading to estrangement and the loss of contact with her grandchildren.

Other Features

• "Would You Believe?" highlights a Texas prison's refusal to send a book to an inmate, citing its potential to encourage deviate criminal sexual behavior.
• "Seeking the Middle Ground in the 'Memory Wars'" reviews several books attempting to find a balanced perspective on the recovered memory debate.
• Websites with Information about Memory are provided.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The newsletter consistently promotes a skeptical stance towards the recovered memory phenomenon, emphasizing scientific research that challenges its core tenets. It highlights studies that question the existence of special memory mechanisms for trauma and point to the role of suggestion and cognitive processes in memory formation. The FMSF advocates for evidence-based therapy and critically examines legal cases and cultural representations that perpetuate myths about memory and trauma. The editorial stance is that the recovered memory controversy is often fueled by suggestion and misinterpretation of psychological research, and that a critical, evidence-based approach is necessary.

The FMS Foundation Newsletter, Volume 12, Number 3, published in May/June 2003, is a 15-page issue focused on the complexities of truth, memory, and allegations of child abuse, particularly in the context of recovered memory therapy. The publication is from the False Memory Syndrome Foundation, based in Philadelphia, PA.

Truth Is Slippery

This section opens with a personal reflection on the difficulty of finding common ground when faced with differing truths, particularly in a parent-child relationship where communication has broken down. The author questions the integrity of a life built on isolation and the consequences of such a lack of dialogue.

Excerpt from Presentation of Carol Marks at FMS Meeting in Glenview, IL October 5, 2002

Carol Marks' presentation highlights the invaluable therapeutic and educational benefits of involvement with FMS. She commends members for their efforts in informing the public, engaging with the media, legislators, judges, and associations to address egregious acts. Marks acknowledges those who have retracted accusations and worked to end the "FMS nightmare," emphasizing that their collective efforts have brought the community to a point of seeking solutions.

A Dad's Reflection on Child Abuse Allegations

A father reflects on the peculiar question reporters often ask: "Did I recognize that child sex abuse existed and was a serious problem?" He contrasts this with questions asked of journalists writing about false murder charges, noting the political fear attached to the subject of child abuse and the proposition that children's accusations are not always truthful. He references Governor Jane Swift's experience with political fear and the case of Gerald Amirault, a prisoner of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

"Far more difficult is the burden of living with a false memory..."

This section features a quote from Davies' article "Betrayed by shifting sands of memory" (Yorkshire Post, Jan. 4, 2002), which discusses the difficulty of living with a false memory that is stranger than fiction. It questions how entire chunks of dialogue can be ingested, memorized, and set in stone when they are not true.

10 Rules for Proponents of Recovered Memory

Authored by Robert Timothy Reagan of the Federal Judicial Center, this section presents ten rules for those advocating recovered memory. It acknowledges the remarkable evidence of memory fallibility but finds a lack of evidence for memory repression. The rules are divided into four "do's" and six "don'ts." The "do's" emphasize proving the event occurred, the subject witnessed it, lost memory of it, and that only repression explains the forgetting. The "don'ts" caution against claiming truth doesn't matter, relying on fiction as evidence, accepting repression without ruling out other explanations, vilifying skeptics, distorting clinical reports, or omitting material details.

Quotes on Memory and Diagnosis

Two quotes are presented: one from William Faulkner's "Light In August" (1932) stating, "Memory believes before knowing remembers. Believes longer than recollects, longer than knowing even wonders," and another from Arthur Kleinman's "Psychiatry on the couch" (American Scientist, 90) noting that "Patients and families may seek out medical diagnoses to legitimize experiences that might otherwise taint their reputations and threaten their social status."

Hungry for Monsters

A documentary film by George Paul Csicsery is reviewed. The film chronicles the decade-long child abuse trials of Stephen Matthews and his father, Melvin Matthews, in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania. The review highlights how accusations of sexual abuse and satanic rituals led to arrests, but charges were eventually dropped when Nicole Althaus admitted her accusations were false. The film explores the family's ordeal with recovered memory therapy, memory implantation, and accusations of sexual abuse, examining the influence of sexual politics, New Age techniques, feminist and fundamentalist beliefs, social workers, police, and the media.

More about the Althaus Case

This section provides background on the Althaus case, referencing previous FMSF newsletters. It details the Pennsylvania Appeals Court ruling in Althaus v. Cohen (1998), which upheld a psychiatrist's liability to accused parents for negligent misdiagnosis and treatment related to alleged parental sexual abuse. The court found it foreseeable that the parents would be harmed by the psychiatrist's actions, which extended beyond therapeutic treatment into legal proceedings. However, it is noted that in 2000, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that the psychiatrist had no obligation to the parents, leading to the forfeiture of a jury award.

Ordering Information

Information is provided for ordering the VHS of "Hungry for Monsters" and for the Rutherford family video, which covers accusation, retraction, and reconciliation.

No Crueler Tyrannies: Accusation, False Witness, and Other Terrors of Our Times

A review of Dorothy Rabinowitz's book, which revisits spectacular sexual-abuse trials of the 1980s and concludes that guilty verdicts were egregious miscarriages of justice.

Psychology Astray: Fallacies in Studies of “Repressed Memory” and Childhood Trauma

A review of Harrison G. Pope, Jr., M.D.'s book, described as an indispensable guide for understanding research claims about recovered memories, praised for its clear thinking and exposition.

"Ask an Expert," This American Life

This section references an episode of "This American Life" from June 14, 2002, which featured people who received horrible advice from experts, including the Rutherfords and a retracting therapist.

"Recovered Memories: Are They Reliable?”

This is an offer for a free pamphlet from FMSF on the reliability of recovered memories.

Web Sites of Interest

A comprehensive list of websites related to false memory, memory debate, and related legal and therapeutic topics is provided, including links to university labs, archives, and advocacy groups.

Legal Websites of Interest

A list of legal websites is provided for those seeking information on legal assistance and resources for the accused.

Bulletin Board

The "Bulletin Board" section lists contacts and meeting information for FMS Foundation chapters across the United States and internationally, including Canada, Australia, Israel, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. It also includes a deadline for submitting meeting notices for the next newsletter.

Copyright and Contact Information

Copyright information for the FMS Foundation is provided, along with contact details for the foundation, including phone, fax, email, and website. Information on how to receive electronic versions of the newsletter via email is also included.

FMSF Scientific and Professional Advisory Board

A list of the FMSF Scientific and Professional Advisory Board members as of May 1, 2003, is presented, featuring a wide range of academics and professionals in psychology, psychiatry, and related fields.

Your Contribution Will Help

This section provides information on how to make a contribution to the FMS Foundation, including options for Visa, Discover, Mastercard, and check or money order, along with a form to fill out.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the fallibility of memory, the dangers of recovered memory therapy, the legal and social ramifications of false accusations, and the importance of critical evaluation of claims related to repressed memories and child abuse. The editorial stance of the FMS Foundation, as evidenced by the content, is one of skepticism towards recovered memory claims and a focus on providing information and support to those wrongly accused or affected by such phenomena. The newsletter aims to educate the public and professionals about the potential for memory distortion and the need for rigorous scientific and legal scrutiny in cases involving memory claims.