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PSYC 1504-01

University of The People

PSYC 1504-01 - AY2023-T3

Introduction Into Psychology

Instructor: Tammy Lex

February 22nd, 2023

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Part 1

Article Summary

NOTE: This article summary has been directly paraphrased from the Los Angeles Times article

"Memory, Pain, and the Truth" written by Maura Dolan on June 21st, 2005. All appropriate

citations and references have been utilized.

In Child Maltreatment, the Jane Doe Study came out in May 1997. The main author, Dr. David

L. Corwin, said that he first talked to Jane when she was 6 years old and there was a custody

battle going on in 1984 (Dolan. M, 2005).

In the videotaped interview, the little girl told Corwin that her mother would often touch her

inappropriately while she was being washed and that she was told not to tell anyone. The same

thing is said about her mother: she burned her foot on a stove (Dolan. M, 2005).

From a professional point of view, Corwin thought that the mother had hurt the child. The father

got custody, and the mother was then not allowed to see the child (Dolan. M, 2005).

Corwin used Jane's video in sessions about child abuse, and the father gave him permission to do

so. Ten years after the first time he talked to Jane, Corwin called her and her dad to ask again if

he could use the tape. At the time, the father was recovering from a stroke in a rehabilitation

center, and the teen was living with a foster family (Dolan. M, 2005).
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Jane said yes, and a year later, she called Corwin to ask for the recording. When she was

seventeen, her father died. Corwin agreed to see her and told her foster mother that he would go

with her (Dolan. M, 2005).

Jane told the doctor that she couldn't remember her mom hitting her. She could only think of the

claim (Dolan. M, 2005).

In his following research, Corwin cited "traumatic amnesia" and defined Jane's experience as a

"spontaneous restoration" of a "reportedly unrecallable memory." He displayed the new footage

at national and international conferences with Jane's approval (Dolan. M, 2005).

In the child abuse journal, experts to whom Corwin had seen the videotapes provided

complimentary feedback and independent analysis. According to Paul Ekman, a famous

psychologist who specializes in detecting dishonesty, Jane's description of the assault as a kid

gives "we trust in her honesty" (Dolan. M, 2005).

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If you wan to learn more about what happened to Jane Doe and how it changed the way we view

Memory Reconciliation in the justice system, you can dig deeper into Elizabeth F. Loftus and

Melvin J. Guyer. The story of “Jane Doe” takes and interesting twist as these two investigate the

case.

An investigation led by Elizabeth F. Loftus and Melvin J. Guyer who were not convinced that

the mother had actually molested "Jane" and that this was a case of Confabulation. They believed

that memory reconciliation is not sufficient enough to justify a conviction. The two of them went

on to publish 2 articles in the Skeptical Inquirer pondering the question that led to further

investigation within the scientific community.

If you want to read the articles written by Elizabeth F. Loftus and Melvin J. Guyer, you can find

them here:

https://skepticalinquirer.org/2002/05/who-abused-jane-doe/

https://skepticalinquirer.org/2002/07/who-abused-jane-doe-part-2/
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Part 2

Under what circumstances are repressed memories more likely to surface?

Repressed memories are those that have been unintentionally suppressed because they are

connected with a great deal of emotional anguish. These recollections might be of catastrophic

incidents like physical or sexual abuse, or they can be of ordinary situations that were

humiliating or unpleasant. Repressed memories are more likely to emerge under particular

conditions, such as when a person is calm, in a safe atmosphere, or engaged in activities that

enable them to access their subconscious mind (Spielman et al., 2017).

What are the possible effects of having these memories resurface?

Resurfacing unpleasant memories may be an emotionally exhausting process. It may have a

variety of physical, psychological, and emotional consequences.

Traumatic memories may result in a variety of physical symptoms, including headaches, nausea,

dizziness, and exhaustion. They may also have trouble sleeping, an elevated heart rate, and

difficulties focusing (Spielman et al., 2017).

Traumatic memories may leave a person feeling overwhelmed, nervous, and sad. They may also

have disturbing thoughts, flashbacks, and nightmares. They may also feel distant from their

surroundings and find it difficult to trust people (Spielman et al., 2017).

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Traumatic memories may produce great anxiety, guilt, humiliation, and rage on an emotional

level. They may also experience feelings of powerlessness and despair (Spielman et al., 2017).

Resurfacing painful memories may also result in a variety of behavioral changes. A person may

retreat and become more isolated, or they may become more angry and unpleasant. They may

also indulge in self-harm or drug misuse (Spielman et al., 2017).

What are your personal beliefs about your mind repressing memories that may be too

painful?

My own belief about my mind suppressing traumatic memories is that it is a natural protection

mechanism. Our brains are immensely strong and complicated, and they are capable of shielding

us from the agony of difficult-to-process memories. It protects us from the emotional and

psychological stress that might result from recalling terrible experiences.

At the same time, I feel that suppressing memories is a two-edged sword. Although it might

shield us from the sorrow of the past, it can also keep us from properly processing and

recovering from those experiences. It might be a strategy to escape the negative feelings that

come with recalling sad memories, but it can also impede us from learning and developing from

those experiences.
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I feel it is important to be cognizant of our memories and to recognize when our brains are

suppressing memories that are too unpleasant. It is critical to recognize the signals that our brains

are suppressing memories, such as feeling distant from our feelings or overwhelmed by specific

experiences. It's also crucial to consider the implications of repressed memories, such as feeling

trapped in the past or unable to move ahead.

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References:

Dolan M. (2005, June 21). Memory, Pain and the Truth. Los Angeles Times.
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-jun-21-me-memory21-story.html

Spielman, R., Dumper, K., Jenkins, W., Lacombe, A., Lovett, M. & Perlmutter, M. (2017).
Psychology. OpenStax College, Rice University. https://openstax.org/details/books/psychology.