Most Compelling Side of the Argument of Repressed Memories
Repressed Memories
To prepare for this week's discussion, review the following article in addition to this week's assigned reading.
Otgaar, H., Howe, M. L., Patihis, L., Merckelbach, H., Lynn, S. J., Lilienfeld, S. O., & Loftus, E. F. (2019). The return of the repressed: The persistent and problematic claims of long-forgotten trauma. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 14(6), 1072–1095. https://journals(dot)sagepub(dot)com/doi/full/10.1177/1745691619862306#articleCitationDownloadContainer
Proceed with this week's discussion by addressing the following about repressed memories:
Which side of the argument of repressed memories did you find to be the most compelling? Drawing on material from the course, choose one side of this debate and discuss why you feel that explanation is most plausible.
Abnormal Psychology
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Abnormal Psychology
The main idea of this article, “The Return of the Repressed: The Persistent and problematic claims of long-forgotten trauma,” is to provide an extensive overview of the existing repressed memories (Otgaar, 2019). After reviewing this literature, I found the argument against the existence of repressed memories to be more compelling because it relies heavily on empirical evidence. The analogy of repressed memories is not the content of what we always think about memory mechanisms. From the human perspective, we always know that memories are stored like files ready to be retrieved. However, memories are recreated once a person remembers and is affected by numerous factors, such as emotions, expectations, and beliefs.
Based on the literature review, the supportive argument side that I find the most plausible is the notion of repressed memories lacking in-depth evidence that supports its existence (Otgaar, 2022). The authors argue that memories are extensively influenced by expectation and suggestion because it is...