memories discussion

The textbook and the article “Recovered memories” (by Elizabeth Loftus and Deborah Davis) discuss one of hottest debates in psychology: the repressed memory debate. On the one hand, some clinical psychologists believe that clients can repress real memories of trauma and uncover them in therapy. On the other hand, research psychologists (most notably Elizabeth Loftus who used to be at the UW) reject the concept of repression; they argue that false memories may actually be planted by therapists asking suggestive questions.

Read the article and chapter, and tell us what you think about this debate. Is psychologically caused amnesia possible? Could therapists lead clients to believe something happened even if it didn’t? On the other hand, are research psychologists causing damage to adult survivors of abuse by casting doubts on their credibility?