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The Press
August 9, 2000
Memory debate rekindled
by Victoria Clausen
Inviting a Washington University professor to speak against recovered memory
syndrome at this year's Psychological Society annual conference has rekindled
debate on the issue.
Auckland University's head of psychology, Dr
John Read, had resigned as the society's director of scientific affairs in
protest at Professor Elizabeth Loftus being a keynote speaker at the Waikato conference.
He said it was the prominence given to her speaking role in New Zealand's
current climate of child abuse cases that he was protesting against, not her
right to speak.
Prof Loftus has spent several years researching and writing about the
reliability of using recovered or repressed memory syndrome without
collaborative evidence. She uses the term false memory syndrome. Several
American therapists have been successfully sued for implanting memories in
clients about things that never happened.
The Psychological Society said it did not realise Prof Loftus' research was
so controversial when it invited her to speak and it would not be withdrawing
the invitation.
Canterbury University's psychology department was
not aware of anyone from its department going to the annual conference.
There are no keynote speakers from Christchurch
addressing the conference.
Head of department Rob Hughes said he was going to be in Hamilton for another meeting at the same
time, but would not attend the conference. Senior psychology lecturer Neville
Blampied said there was nothing to suggest there was any animosity towards
Prof Loftus, and she was widely respected in academic circles.
Mr Blampied said there was a lot of interest in the recovered memory debate
about five to seven years ago, but it was "all a bit passe".
Dr Karen Zelas, a Christchurch
child psychiatrist, said if there was debate about Prof Loftus and her
talking about her research it was better to keep it in the Psychological
Society.
She said it was an internal issue and she did not belong to the society.
"But generally one wants to foster debate and look at all sides in a
scientific manner," she said.
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