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The altering of reported experiences.

D Offer1, M Kaiz, K I Howard

  • 1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, IL 60611, USA. dmo@nwu.edu

Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
|June 10, 2000
PubMed
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Human memory is unreliable, with adult recollections of adolescence often differing significantly from original reports. Accurate autobiographical memory in healthy individuals is no better than chance, impacting mental health assessments.

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Psychiatry

Background:

  • Human memory's unreliability is extensively documented.
  • Mental health professionals commonly rely on patient self-report for case history.
  • This reliance is despite the known fallibility of memory.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the accuracy of autobiographical memory over time.
  • To provide evidence on memory reliability in healthy individuals.
  • To discuss implications for psychiatric assessment and treatment planning.

Main Methods:

  • A longitudinal study tracking 73 healthy males from age 14 to 48.
  • Face-to-face interviews were conducted at both time points.
  • Interviews covered personal history domains like family, relationships, and activities.

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Main Results:

  • Significant discrepancies emerged between adolescent self-reports and adult memories.
  • The accuracy of recalled adolescent experiences was comparable to chance.
  • Memory recall showed substantial deviation from original accounts.

Conclusions:

  • Findings suggest extreme caution is needed when using self-report in clinical settings.
  • The unreliability of memory necessitates careful consideration for health-compromised individuals.
  • Recollections should be viewed as existential reconstructions rather than factual records.