Abstract
In the present study, we examined the prevalence and predictors of subjective forgetting (i.e., self-reported amnesia) of child sexual abuse (CSA). Adults who, as children, were involved as victims in legal prosecutions were questioned about their CSA experiences, which had been documented in the 1980s, and about lost and recovered memory of those experiences. Males and individuals who experienced more severe abuse were more likely to report forgetting. The majority of individuals attributed their forgetting to active attempts to avoid thinking about the abuse. In contrast, when predictors of subjective forgetting were used to predict objective memory of abuse, more severe abuse and more extended legal involvement were associated with fewer memory errors. The differences between subjective and objective memory underscore the risks of using subjective measures to assess lost memory of abuse.
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This article is based on work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant 9602125. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
Note—This article was accepted by the previous editorial team, when Colin M. MacLeod was Editor.
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Ghetti, S., Edelstein, R.S., Goodman, G.S. et al. What can subjective forgetting tell us about memory for childhood trauma?. Memory & Cognition 34, 1011–1025 (2006). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03193248
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03193248