Purpose of this study:
Mazzoni, et al. want to find out how much they can change people's "beliefs and memories about the past" (p. 125). Several paradigms have been used to explore this question (Loftus & Pickrell, 1995; Hyman et al., 1995).
Mazzoni and colleagues have recently been using a dream interpretation procedure to explore this question (Loftus & Mazzoni, 1998; Mazzoni, Lombardo, Malvagia, & Loftus, 1999)
In their first study, Mazzoni et al. (1997), used dream interpretation to alter subjects' memories about childhood events (i.e. being lost in a mall & abandoned by parents). The researchers used a Life Events Inventory (LEI) to assess how confident they were that they had experienced certain events. Subjects filled out a LEI before and after dream interpretation. Responses increased significantly after the dream session.
Mazzoni et al. want to find out if a concrete memory actually exists during this second LEI session, or if they just influenced a belief that the event must have happened. They also want to find out what type of person is more susceptible to manipulation of autobiographical memories (See also Hyman & Billings, 1998).
Method and Materials:
Half of the subjects were assigned to a control condition and half to a dream interpretation condition. All subjects took the LEI two times during the study. One item on the LEI was a critical item: 'Was harassed by a bully.' They also included a second (back-up) critical item: ' Was lost in a public place for more than one hour.'
All subjects answered a dream survey. Five out of 12 questions are referred to as the Beliefs About Dream Interpretation (BADI) items.
All dream subjects and some control subjects also filled out a Dissociative Experience Scale (DES) to determine if they have "lapses in memory and attention" (p. 128).
Procedure:
|
|
|
|
||
| Groups | LEI + Dream Survey |
|
LEI-2 | |
| Dream | 36 | 36 (31 bullied & 5 lost) | 27 (14 final quest.& 14 no final quest.) | |
| Control | 36 | 11 (short interview) | 36 (no final quest.) | |
*A major point was to suggest to subjects in the dream condition that the dream was caused by repressed memories of a troublesome event before age 3. (30 min. Interpretation)
After the LEI-2, experimenters asked subjects to describe information about five events from the LEI-2. The final questionnaire assessed current beliefs about subjects' recovered memories.
Results:
* Dream manipulation may have caused subjects to think that they had been bullied before age 3.
* Subjects who said they had a memory of the critical event were more likely to increase confidence on LEI-2 than subjects who reported having no memory.
* Eight 'Dream' subjects increased their scores on LEI-2 and then described the memory. Table 1 (p.138)
* In the final questionnaire, 3/5 of the dream subjects who changed LEI scores said it was because of the dream session, which helped them to remember the event.
* Using the BADI, subjects who believed in dream interpretation and self-analysis were more likely to increase confidence in past memories.
Discussion:
The researchers ask the question of whether new memories reflected true experiences or if they were generated due to the psychologist's suggestions.
They feel they have changed the autobiographies of the subjects who changed their memory ratings after dream interpretation.
Further questions: Some subjects who changed their beliefs about being bullied or lost did not have an explicit memory. After another delay period, would these subjects explore this possibility and eventually construct a false memory about a critical event? Perhaps they would search enough to find a real memory....
The authors argue that the study supports the idea that therapists can help to change the beliefs and memories of patients.
|
|
|
|
|
|