Posted by mila on May 25, 2001, at 8:13:34
In reply to Re: Recovered memory project Shelli » mila, posted by shelliR on May 24, 2001, at 23:31:28
Hi Shelli,
I do not have much to say about Liz Loftus, except that she is a hell of a researcher... in her area of expertise. She was active in the 70-80ies and well into the 90ies in cognitive and social research into memory mechanisms. Historically, personality psychology (the one that deals with repression and other defence mechanisms) was in decay then, mostly because of impressive advances in cognitive and social psychology and abandonment of freudian dogma which fathered the concept of repression to begin with. Not only freudian theory proved next to impossible to verify experimentally, its adherents being considered by American scientific establishment members of a cult, Freud himself was proven to be guilty of implanting memories of abuse in his patients.
Anyways, Liz Loftus era is over, and personality psychology is lifting its head again. There are exceptionally interesting studies on defence mechanisms being undertaken, and very impressive books being published. There is yet much to discover about just how our memory works and what influences it and how. Loftus is not wrong, she is not completely right. This is only due to her specialization. As far as legal aspect concerned, you know very well that we need both good attorneys and prosecutors, so that no criminal will go unpunished, and no innocent person would be thrown to jail. Loftus was helping attorneys, so to speak, but personality psychologists might help a bit to the prosecutors nowadays by proving that repression is in fact very real.
I feel awful that people who suffered from abuse and got some grip on it and are on their road to recovery have to prove themselves to anyone. This societal attitude of disbelief is cruel and perpetuates the cycle of abuse. It is called blame the victim strategy. First they tell you that it is all in your head, and next that it is all your fault anyways. No good. I am glad to live in some better times, today. Loftus's rise to power and intellectual reign made many a sufferer's life more miserable, that is for sure. But it is only because there was no opposing/complementing her line of work scientific force then.
love
mila
poster:mila
thread:6088
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20010511/msgs/6169.html