Questions and Answers about Memories of Childhood Abuse

What Further Research Is Needed?

The controversy over the validity of memories of childhood abuse has raised many critical issues for the psychological community.  Many questions are at this point unanswered.  This controversy has demonstrated that there are areas of research which should be pursued; among them are the following:

• Research to provide a better understanding of the mechanism by which accurate or inaccurate recollections of events may be created;
• Research to ascertain which clinical techniques are most likely to lead to the creation of pseudomemories and which techniques are most effective in creating the conditions under which actual events of childhood abuse can be remembered with accuracy;
• Research to ascertain how trauma and traumatic response impact the memory process;
• Research to ascertain if some people are more susceptible than others to memory suggestion and alteration and if so, why. 

Much of this research will profit from collaborative efforts among psychologists who specialize in memory research and those clinicians who specialize in working with trauma and abuse victims.