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True photographs and false memories.
D Stephen Lindsay1, Lisa Hagen, J Don Read
1Department of Psychology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. slindsay@uvic.ca
Psychological Science
|March 17, 2004
Summary
Viewing old photos can increase false childhood memory reports, especially when combined with suggestive therapy techniques. This research highlights the risks of using photo albums to recall repressed memories.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Cognitive Psychology
- Memory Studies
Background:
- Trauma-informed psychotherapies sometimes use photo albums to elicit repressed memories.
- The potential for suggestion in memory retrieval is a significant concern in psychotherapy.
- Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) memory retrieval is a sensitive area of psychological research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether viewing group photos increases false memory reports in adults.
- To examine the influence of visual cues (photographs) on the creation of pseudomemories.
- To assess the reliability of memory recall prompted by external stimuli in a controlled setting.
Main Methods:
- Forty-five undergraduates participated in the study.
- Participants were asked to recall three childhood school events (two real, one fabricated).
- One group received relevant school photos as memory cues, while the control group did not.
Main Results:
- The rate of false memory reports was significantly higher in the group that viewed photos.
- Photo cues dramatically increased the likelihood of reporting a pseudoevent as real.
- This finding exceeded false memory rates reported in previous studies.
Conclusions:
- Visual cues like old photographs can substantially increase the risk of generating false childhood memories.
- Therapeutic techniques involving photo albums may inadvertently create or reinforce pseudomemories.
- Caution is advised when using external memory aids in memory retrieval, particularly for potentially traumatic events.