Watch the following videos:
False Memories (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Loftus Speaks: The Malleability of Memory (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
In the videos, Loftus describes the ease with which false memories can be created or altered. Yet people like Paul Shanely are incarcerated, convicted of heinous crimes based on the testimony of men who have claimed to have repressed memories of years of childhood sexual abuse until adulthood. The two sides of the argument are referred to as “The Memory Wars.” For this discussion, choose one of the following prompts:
Analyze both sides of the Shanely case. Which side is best supported by the scientific evidence? Which one do you support and why?
Analyze the case of the Ramona family. How could the daughter repress such memories for so long? Does the fact that her father successfully sued the therapist prove that the memories are false?
Analyze the case of Jennifer Thompson-Cannino and Ronald Cotton. How is it possible to be so sure that you recognize a face when it is not the right person?
Provide an overview of Loftus’ research. How does that prove (or not) that memories can be created or altered?
