Skirting the issue: What does believing in repression mean?

Henry Otgaar; Jianqin Wang; Olivier Dodier; Mark L. Howe; Scott O Lilienfeld; Elizabeth F Loftus; Steven Jay Lynn; Harald Merckelbach; Lawrence Patihis

doi:10.1037/xge0000982

Skirting the issue: What does believing in repression mean?

Henry Otgaar^*, Jianqin Wang, Olivier Dodier, Mark L. Howe, Scott O Lilienfeld, Elizabeth F Loftus, Steven Jay Lynn, Harald Merckelbach, Lawrence Patihis

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Editorial › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

We show that, in contrast to Brewin, Li, Ntarantana, Unsowrth, and McNeilis (2019), large proportions of laypersons believe in the scientifically controversial phenomenon of unconscious repressed memories. We provide new survey data showing that when participants are asked specific questions about what they mean when they report that traumatic memories can be repressed, most provide answers strongly consistent with unconscious repression. Our findings continue to show that researchers, legal professionals, and clinicians should be wary of invoking unconscious repression in their work. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	2005-2006
Number of pages	2
Journal	Journal of Experimental Psychology
Volume	149
Issue number	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0000982
Publication status	Published - Oct 2020

Keywords

unconscious repression
repressed memory
trauma
memory

Access to Document

10.1037/xge0000982

Cite this

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title = "Skirting the issue: What does believing in repression mean?",

abstract = "We show that, in contrast to Brewin, Li, Ntarantana, Unsowrth, and McNeilis (2019), large proportions of laypersons believe in the scientifically controversial phenomenon of unconscious repressed memories. We provide new survey data showing that when participants are asked specific questions about what they mean when they report that traumatic memories can be repressed, most provide answers strongly consistent with unconscious repression. Our findings continue to show that researchers, legal professionals, and clinicians should be wary of invoking unconscious repression in their work. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).",

keywords = "unconscious repression, repressed memory, trauma, memory",

author = "Henry Otgaar and Jianqin Wang and Olivier Dodier and Howe, {Mark L.} and Lilienfeld, {Scott O} and Loftus, {Elizabeth F} and Lynn, {Steven Jay} and Harald Merckelbach and Lawrence Patihis",

year = "2020",

month = oct,

doi = "10.1037/xge0000982",

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T1 - Skirting the issue

T2 - What does believing in repression mean?

AU - Otgaar, Henry

AU - Wang, Jianqin

AU - Dodier, Olivier

AU - Howe, Mark L.

AU - Lilienfeld, Scott O

AU - Loftus, Elizabeth F

AU - Lynn, Steven Jay

AU - Merckelbach, Harald

AU - Patihis, Lawrence

PY - 2020/10

Y1 - 2020/10

N2 - We show that, in contrast to Brewin, Li, Ntarantana, Unsowrth, and McNeilis (2019), large proportions of laypersons believe in the scientifically controversial phenomenon of unconscious repressed memories. We provide new survey data showing that when participants are asked specific questions about what they mean when they report that traumatic memories can be repressed, most provide answers strongly consistent with unconscious repression. Our findings continue to show that researchers, legal professionals, and clinicians should be wary of invoking unconscious repression in their work. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

AB - We show that, in contrast to Brewin, Li, Ntarantana, Unsowrth, and McNeilis (2019), large proportions of laypersons believe in the scientifically controversial phenomenon of unconscious repressed memories. We provide new survey data showing that when participants are asked specific questions about what they mean when they report that traumatic memories can be repressed, most provide answers strongly consistent with unconscious repression. Our findings continue to show that researchers, legal professionals, and clinicians should be wary of invoking unconscious repression in their work. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

KW - unconscious repression

KW - repressed memory

KW - trauma

KW - memory

U2 - 10.1037/xge0000982

DO - 10.1037/xge0000982

M3 - Editorial

C2 - 33017165

SN - 0022-1015

VL - 149

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EP - 2006

JO - Journal of Experimental Psychology

JF - Journal of Experimental Psychology

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ER -