Remembering Our Childhood: How Memory Betrays Us 1st Edition

by Karl Sabbagh (Author)

3 customer reviews

ISBN-13: 978-0199218400

ISBN-10: 0199218404

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How reliable is memory? For most of us, accurately remembering the details of a novel we read six months ago, or a conversation we had last week, is a difficult task. How much more daunting, then, to recall events from early childhood? This is not an academic question. The alarming rise, over the past two decades, in criminal convictions for child abuse based on "recovered" memories makes clear the need for a solid, scientifically based understanding of the nature and trustworthiness of childhood memories.
In this fascinating and often disturbing book, Karl Sabbagh looks at psychologists' present understanding of how memory works--and fails to work--particularly in terms of childhood recollections. He shows that, in cases of "recovered memories," the unreliability of memory has had tragic consequences. Many people firmly believe that they can recall scenes from their infancy. But what does science tell us about the childhood memory? Through closely examining memories culled from his interviews, as well as psychologists' and neuroscientists' studies of memory, it becomes clear that, whatever individuals might claim, memories of the first two years of our lives are simply not accessible to us. Even later memories are fragile, yielding to suggestion and our desire for neat stories. Sabbagh goes on to examine real cases where causal remarks by children in nurseries, memories "recovered" in therapy, wild claims of satanic rituals, animal sacrifices, and grisly infant murders, have produced wrongful arrests and destroyed careers and families.
Drawing on extensive research, including transcribed interviews presented at court, Remembering Our Childhood presents a scientific understanding of memory and a compelling argument for the critical role of scientific evidence in cases involving the memory of witnesses.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Karl Sabbagh was educated at King's College, Cambridge, where he studied experimental psychology. He is a freelance writer and the author of many books, including Your Case is Hopeless; Palestine: A Personal History; Dr Riemann's Zeros; A Rum Affair (nominated in 2002 for the Los Angeles Times Science Book Prize); and Power into Art. He regularly writes articles for the media including The Sunday Times, The Guardian, New Scientist, Scientific American, British Medical Journal, and The Washington Post.

Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Oxford University Press; 1 edition (March 22, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0199218404
ISBN-13: 978-0199218400
Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 1 x 5.4 inches
Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 3 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,378,216 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #5958 in Cognitive Psychology (Books)
- #6200 in Developmental Psychology (Books)
- #6458 in Clinical Psychology (Books)

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Douglas

Excellent Scientific Approach To Memory And False Memory Syndrome

November 4, 2012

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

The author notes near the end of the book that "serious scientific research rarely makes it into the public consciousness." How sadly true. It is much easier to read pseudo-science "self help" tripe and let some self-proclaimed therapist (mind-rapist?) brainwash you into what you remember than it is to actually read a scientifically based book on memory like this one. Remembering Our Childhood shows how our memories work, and often don't work, and gives us much better ideas about when to trust them and when to doubt.

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Susan

Such a sad story. It has taken her years to recover ...

July 9, 2014

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

A friend (and her family) were traumatized by a well meaning (I guess) therapist who convinced her that her depression stemmed from being satanically abused as a child. Such a sad story. It has taken her years to recover from those fraudulent "recovered memories” that he encouraged, perhaps placed, in her psyche.

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Anonymous

dull and very dated

February 1, 2013

Format: Kindle Edition

this book starts with an obvious bias rather than looking at the topic opening

also many recent scientific research has been shown to demonstrate the *traumatic* memories cannot be falsely remembered and are often repressed as a coping mechanism, all this is ignored in the book - really the author needs to start again since he has ignored nearly all post-2000 research

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Remembering Our Childhood: How Memory Betrays Us 1st Edition