| Books:
The Courage to Heal, by E. Bass
and L. Davis (New York: Harper & Row, 1988).
This book is generally credited with starting the recent interest
in recovered memory, whereby therapy helps an individual recover
a supposedly "repressed" memory. The authors suggest
that if an individual shows the symptoms associated with childhood
incest (such as feelings of shame and worthlessness), then
the individual probably did suffer abuse but has repressed
the memory. Much of the current controversy about false memory
syndrome arose in reaction to ideas publicized in this book.
Searching for Memory: The Brain, the
Mind, and the Past, by Daniel L. Schacter. (New York:
Harper Collins, 1997).
Daniel Schacter, a professor of psychology at Harvard University,
explains what neuroscientists understand about how human memory
works and what can happen when it does not -- including the
phenomenon of false memory.
Published Articles:
"Creating false memories",
by E. Loftus. (Scientific American, September, 1997, p. 71-75).
The author shows how easy it can be to instill false memories
in volunteers, casting doubt on whether we can really trust
recovered memories.
"The formation of false memories",
by E. Loftus and J. Pickerall (Psychiatric Annals, vol. 25,
p. 720-725).
This is a scientific article in a technical journal with further
details about creating false memories in the laboratory.
"Memory on Trial",
by C. Gorman (Time, April 17, 1995, p. 54-55).
A review of the controversy over recovered memory and false
memory syndrome.
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