How Accurate Is Memory After 20 Years?

Over the past two decades, and in many cases because of statute of limitations reform, many adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse have come forward to seek justice, disclosing painful memories of traumatic events from decades before. And while, thankfully, the general public has grown in its understanding of how and why abused children might delay disclosure well into adulthood, a question that frequently comes up in legal procedures is: How accurate and reliable are memories of events long past? We speak with renowned memory researcher Gail Goodman, who’s also the director of the Center for Public Policy Research at UC-Davis.

Topics in this episode:

• Understanding trauma and memory (1:40)
• Misperceptions (4:06)
• Encoding traumatic memories (8:01)
• Research on memories after 20 years (12:42)
• Legal implications (30:25)
• Public policy (35:04)
• Future research (37:20)
• Share this episode (41:04)

Links:

Professor Gail S. Goodman is director of the Center for Public Policy Research at the University of California, Davis.

Wu Y, Goodman GS, Goldfarb D, et al. “Memory Accuracy After 20 Years for Interviews About Child Maltreatment.” Child Maltreatment. December 2021. doi:10.1177/10775595211055184

Carole Peterson, Ph.D.

Mitchell L. Eisen, Ph.D.

Karen Saywitz, Ph.D.

National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, the Children’s Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Deborah Goldfarb, JD, Ph.D.

Julia (Yuerui) Wu

Kathy Pezdek, Ph.D.

National Institute of Justice

National Science Foundation

For more information about National Children’s Alliance and the work of Children’s Advocacy Centers, visit our website at NationalChildrensAlliance.org. Or visit our podcast website at OneInTenPodcast.org. And join us on Facebook at One in Ten podcast.