[Cultures of Remembrance in Psychology: A Survey as a First Empirical Step]

Psychology and its professionals face high expectations from the general public regarding their work to benefit individuals and society. Within the field itself, psychology has a collective memory that serves as a source of guidance. This memory has a strong ethical component that includes reflecting critically on practices that violate human rights or professional standards. This reflection is intended to prevent the recurrence of such practices.

A survey was conducted among members of German-speaking professional associations to determine which areas are relevant to the culture of remembrance and to identify signs of dimensionality in the psychological culture of remembrance. Of the approximately 500 German, Austrian, and Swiss scientific psychology associations invited to participate in the survey, only 54 experienced colleagues responded.

Many areas were indicated as being equally important, such as psychologists as victims of Nazi persecution, psychologists as perpetrators in the GDR, and psychologists in democratic reconstruction after 1945. Other important areas included certain areas of psychological research, such as justice, women's emancipation, totalitarian character, problem solving, and general experimental psychology. The theoretically assumed dimensionalization of memory cultures into ethical and scientific dimensions was empirically expanded to include four dimensions: psychologists as perpetrators, victims, and innovators; psychology in the context of human rights and justice; psychology as a science; and the critical role of psychology.

Finally, the viability of the findings for reflection on memory culture within psychology and related disciplines is discussed. These findings are also relevant to efforts in the field's current third mission and to psychotraumatology's work to bring closure to victims of injustice.