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A comparison of normal forgetting, psychopathology, and information-processing models of reported amnesia for recent
M B Mechanic1, P A Resick, M G Griffin
1Department of Psychology, University of Missouri-St. Louis 63121, USA. mbmechanic@umsl.edu
Abstract:
This study assessed memories for sexual trauma in a nontreatment-seeking sample of recent rape victims and considered competing explanations for failed recall. Participants were 92 female rape victims assessed within 2 weeks of the rape; 62 were also assessed 3 months postassault. Memory deficits for parts of the rape were common 2 weeks postassault (37%) but improved over the 3-month window studied (16% still partially amnesic). Hypotheses evaluated competing models of explanation that may account for reported recall deficits. Results are most consistent with information-processing models of traumatic memory.