Laboratory research, treatment innovation, and practice guidelines: A reply to Enns (2001) and Courtois (2001).

In response to "Guided Imagery and Memory" by K. D. Arbuthnott, D. W. Arbuthnott, & L. Rossiter (2001), C. Z. Enns (2001) and C. A. Courtois (2001) elaborated on implications for the use of guided imagery techniques in psychotherapy, particularly for the treatment of trauma (see records 2001-00732-001 -002 and -003 respectively). In general, the authors endorse these elaborations and the practice guidelines recommended by the American Psychological Association task force for working with clients who may have experienced delayed memories for child abuse. However, they disagree with statements about the limited utility of laboratory research to inform clinical practice and discuss what they consider to be a more productive rapprochement between laboratory and clinical research. As an example of how practice guidelines can evolve with developing knowledge from laboratory studies, the authors discuss emerging evidence that is relevant to the mechanisms underlying guided imagery misattributions, which may significantly influence the caution necessary when using realistic imagery in psychotherapeutic treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Commentary on "Guided imagery and memory": Additional considerations.

This commentary supports the main findings of the review article "Guided Imagery and Memory: Implications for Psychotherapists" (K. D. Arbuthnott, D. W. Arbuthnott, & L. Rossiter, 2001; see record 2001-00732-001) but also suggests that the authors were overly cautious in their clinical recommendations and not critical enough regarding the reviewed research on imagination inflation. Another review of the imagery literature recently published by D. Brown, A. Scheflin, and C. Hammond (1998; see record 1997-36532-000) provides an alternative interpretation to the findings of this review. D. Brown et at. concluded that memory distortion is more the result of poor interviewing rather than the use of imagery per se and recommended that clinicians carefully monitor their methods of practice and retrieval conditions especially when using imagery techniques for memory enhancement, retrieval, or emotional processing. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

New perspectives on autobiographical memory: The integration of narrative processing and autobiographical reasoning.

Researchers from diverse psychological subdisciplines have increasingly turned their attention to the storied aspect of human thought. Narrative processing and autobiographical reasoning are 2 forms of this conscious thought. Narrative processing is the tendency to create thought units that use vivid imagery, sequential plots, characters, and salient goals. Autobiographical reasoning consists of interpreting and evaluating remembered experiences. Both forms of thought are discussed in D. P. McAdams's (see record 2001-06545-002) personality theory and D. B. Pillemer's (see record 2001-06545-003) cognitive research. S. Bluck and T. Habermas (see record 2001-06545-004) highlight developmental aspects of narrative processing and autobiographical reasoning, particularly in adolescent identity formation. U. M. Staudinger (see record 2001-06545-005) illustrates how autobiographical reasoning about memories and life stories serves as a springboard for wisdom at different stages of the life cycle. Implications for integrating subdisciplines of psychology are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The Mind in Therapy: Cognitive Science for Practice.

Reviews the book, The Mind in Therapy: Cognitive Science for Practice by Katherine D. Arbuthnott, Dennis W. Arbuthnott and Valerie A. Thompson (see record 2005-13477-000). In this text, the authors apply the conceptual underpinnings of cognitive science, and its empirical findings, to particular practical issues. In 16 chapters, the authors review different areas of cognitive research and emphasize findings relevant to the theoretical and applied aspects of psychotherapy. Each chapter begins with general definitions of key terms and explains how various cognitive constructs, and the research literature surrounding them, are important to psychotherapy. Many chapters also include case illustrations to translate these concepts into application. The goal of the book--to increase clinicians' understanding of the cognitive processes and mechanisms involved in therapy and to encourage practitioners to integrate this knowledge within the treatments that they provide--is certainly achieved. Practitioners who read this text will be more cognizant of the cognitive processes that influence treatment and may be more deliberate in their use of cognitive mechanisms in therapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Why never forgetting a face matters: Visual imagery and social memory.

Tested the hypothesis that persons who tend to form vivid visual images of others have more accurate social memories than those who form relatively nonvivid visual images of others. In Exp I, using 186 undergraduates as Ss, vivid imagers outperformed nonvivid imagers in remembering details concerning the attitudes, activities, and life history of a woman whom they observed being interviewed. Exp II with 154 Ss provided more definitive evidence for the link between visual imagery and social memory by demonstrating that vivid imagers had more accurate memories after seeing an interviewee answer questions, whereas seeing the interviewee had no impact on the memories of nonvivid imagers. Results support the author's hypothesis that the relatively superior social memories of vivid imagers reside in their capacity for visual imagery rather than some covariate of imagery. The discussion considers the impact that imagery processes may have on a variety of social thought processes. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Remembering childhood sexual abuse: A national survey of psychologists' clinical practices, beliefs, and personal experiences.

A national survey of 1,000 psychologists, to which 223 responded, assessed professionals' clinical practices and beliefs about the treatment of adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA), personal CSA history, and the phenomenon of clients remembering CSA in therapy. Results indicated that over 25% of therapists reported using guided imagery, dream interpretation, bibliotherapy regarding sexual abuse, referral to sexual abuse survivors' group, and free association of childhood memories as memory retrieval techniques with clients who had no specific memory of CSA. However, the majority of therapists reported that they had not seen any cases of adult clients entering therapy with no memory of CSA and subsequently recalling abuse in the course of therapy. A personal history of CSA was not associated with most clinical practices related to treating sexual abuse survivors. The implications for training and establishing scientific standards of psychological practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Guided imagery and memory: Implications for psychotherapists.

Imagery techniques involve the mental generation of perceptual experiences in the absence of external perceptual stimulation. Such techniques are used for many purposes in psychotherapy but have recently come under attack as a risky practice that may result in memory distortion or the creation of false memories. This article reviews research linking imagery with changes in memory, both to sensitize clinicians to possible inappropriate applications of guided imagery techniques and to discourage researchers from understating the potential utility of guided imagery. The implications of this research for the psychotherapeutic use of imagery are discussed, and strategies for using imagery while reducing the potential for memory distortion are described. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparing recollective experience in true and false autobiographical memories.

This study investigated whether true autobiographical memories are qualitatively distinct from false autobiographical memories using a variation of the interview method originally reported by E. F. Loftus and J. Pickrell (1995). Participants recalled events provided by parents on 3 separate occasions and were asked to imagine true and false unremembered events. True memories were rated by both participants and observers as more rich in recollective experience and were rated by participants as more important, more emotionally intense, as having clearer imagery, and as less typical than false memories. Rehearsal frequency was used as a covariate, eliminating these effects. Imagery in true memories was most often viewed from the field perspective, whereas imagery in false memories was most often viewed from the observer perspective. More information was communicated in true memories, and true memories contained more information concerning the consequences of described events. Results suggest repeated remembering can make false memories more rich in recollective experience and more like true memories. Differences between true and false memories suggest some potentially distinct characteristics of false memories and provide insight into the process of false memory creation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychotherapy and the recovery of memories of childhood sexual abuse: U.S. and British practitioners' opinions, practices, and experiences.

Psychotherapists were surveyed regarding clients' memories of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). The 3 samples were highly similar on the vast majority of measures. Respondents listed a wide variety of behavioral symptoms as potential indicators of CSA, and 71% indicated that they had used various techniques (e.g., hypnosis, interpretation of dreams) to help clients recover suspected memories of CSA . Across samples, 25% of the respondents reported a constellation of beliefs and practices suggestive of a focus on memory recovery, and these psychologists reported relatively high rates of memory recovery in their clients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Unsubstantiated claims of false memory and essential responsibilities.

Comments on the assertion of K. S. Pope (see record 83-37387) that the confirmation that supposedly validates claims about the false memory syndrome, its antecedents, and its rampant magnitude needs to be made available and carefully examined. The author considers why there has been acceptance of unsubstantiated claims of false memory, and also points to essential responsibilities for psychologists whose clients have abuse memories. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

False perceptions of false memories.

We argue that the preceding comment by J. J. Freyd and D. H. Gleaves (see record 83:25318) on H. L. Roediger and K. B. McDermott's (see record 1995-42833-001) article contests claims that we never made. In this reply, we consider and rebut their arguments, defend our use of the term events, and consider the role of relatedness in producing false memories. In proposing a critical experiment indented to illuminate the debate about memory recovery in therapy, it is Freyd and Gleaves who generalize directly from a laboratory experiment to complicated events in therapy. However, our analysis of their proposed experiment finds it irrelevant to the development of false memories, either inside or outside the lab. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reconstructing memories of abuse: A theory-based approach.

Describes a process for reconstructing traumatic memories based on M. J. Horowitz's (1986) theory of stress response syndromes. Recovery from trauma requires that the emotions and imagery attached to the trauma be integrated into the victim's self structure. The history of intrusive symptoms can be used to develop a projective device to help the client anticipate the nature of the trauma. Ongoing intrusive experiences bring memory fragments to the surface that can be used to build the client's emotional tolerance. Cognitive restructuring can be started while the memories are still tentative, and the client can begin to develop coping skills and supportive relationships that will be needed as the memories return. Case materials illustrate the process. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Repressed memories: Avoiding the obvious.

Sorting out the distinctions between reality and fantasy in terms of apparently recovered memories and reconstructions is at least as puzzling as sorting out current realities. In responding to C. B. Brenneis's (see records 2007-10660-001 and 2001-07368-001) challenge to the existence of the phenomena of repression and of recovered or reconstructed memories, the authors point out the data from the Recovered Memory Archive web site, the data from World War I and World War II battlefield neuroses, as well as the clinical observations of psychoanalysts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On memories of childhood abuse: a phenomenological study

OBJECTIVE: To explore the phenomenon of memories and reported recovered memories of childhood abuse, and to examine ways in which clients and therapists assess the veridicality of such memories. METHOD: Qualitative methodology utilizing phenomenological inquiry. Within the context of a wider study exploring perceptions of helpful and unhelpful factors in the therapeutic process, a sub-sample of 36 in-depth interviews with clients, therapists, and therapists who considered themselves to have been abused as children included a focus on abuse-memory experiences. Data were analyzed according to Grounded Theory principles. RESULTS: Participants described six types of abuse-memory experiences. The most frequently reported type was where abuse was known about but kept "out of mind." The six types can be collapsed into three main categories: (1) continual knowledge of abuse (69.5%); (2) unexpected abuse-memories recovered from a prior state of partial knowledge of abuse (16.5%); and (3) abuse-memories recovered from a prior state of no knowledge of abuse (30%). Independent corroboration of recovered memories was rare; and criteria which were reportedly used to assess the veridicality of such memories were problematic when viewed in the light of cognitive psychology research on memory processes. CONCLUSION: It seems that most people who were abused as children have always had continual knowledge of this, although it is often only much later than many connect problems in adult life with the consequences of such abuse. People also experience the recovery of memories of abuse about which they were previously unaware. There is a danger that the specific controversy surrounding "false memories" may become over-generalized contributing to increased public scepticism about the prevalence and negative impact of child abuse, and the potential effectiveness of appropriate therapeutic services.     

Sacred space, not sacred cows, or it's never fun being prophetic.

Replies to comments by E. F. Loftus (see record 1998-00766-029), S. Buchholz (see record 1998-00766-030), L. G. Humphreys (see record 1998-00766-031), D. S. Lindsay (see record 1998-00766-032), and T. Dineen (see record 1998-00766-033) regarding the article (see record 84-26142) concerning managed care and false memory movement issues in social justice-oriented psychology. Firstly, Brown contends that Loftus"s assertions of misrepresentation are inaccurate. Secondly, Brown argues that making memory retrieval per se the guiding strategy and goal of therapy is more likely to be detrimental than helpful to abuse survivors, and is not consistent with a pro-survivor stance. It is also stated that each claim of recovered memories must be evaluated carefully and on an individual basis in light of all available evidence. Lastly, Brown argues that her goal for her colleagues and readers was for them to develop and assert their own strategies for the achievement of tikkunolam, to be the authors of their own actions, as she attempts to create a therapy in which clients are the authors of their own lives. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)