Trauma Memories: Research and Ethics

Although the understanding of memory is crucial for trauma research, consensus regarding the processes of remembrance and forgetting remains limited. Are memories of traumatic experiences different from memories of nonstressful events? How reliable are these memories? Can traumatic experiences be remembered after long periods of forgetting? In recent years, such questions have garnered much research relating to trauma, memory, and cognition. They have also formed the basis of what has been termed memory wars, a series of heated discussions in the scientific literature concerning the remembrance and forgetting of traumatic events, particularly of childhood abuse. The present entry reviews different aspects of these memory wars to highlight some of today's key trajectories in trauma research. Particular attention is paid to current research on the validity ...