Accuracy and Specificity of Autobiographical Memory in Childhood Trauma Victims: Developmental Considerations

Christin M. Ogle; Stephanie D. Block; Latonya S. Harris; Michelle Culver; Else Marie Augusti; Susan Timmer; Anthony Urquiza; Gail S. Goodman

doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195308457.003.0006

Accuracy and Specificity of Autobiographical Memory in Childhood Trauma Victims: Developmental Considerations

Christin M. Ogle, Stephanie D. Block, Latonya S. Harris, Michelle Culver, Else Marie Augusti, Susan Timmer, Anthony Urquiza, Gail S. Goodman

General Pediatrics

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

This chapter examines the claim that childhood trauma leads to a specific type ofautobiographical memory functioning, namely "overgeneral memory". It reviews scientific theory and research on autobiographical memory development, memory for traumarelated and nontrauma-related information in traumatized individuals, and autobiographical memory in nontraumatized and traumatized adolescents and adults. Preliminary findings from an ongoing study that examines autobiographical memory development in documented child sexual abuse victims versus matched controls with no known history of child sexual abuse are presented. It is shown that contrary to the overgeneral memory hypothesis, individuals with child maltreatment histories, especially those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), may overfocus on trauma in their lives and in their pasts, and this focus may make their autobiographical memories particularly accurate, especially for trauma-related information.

Original language	English (US)
Title of host publication	Stress, Trauma, and Children's Memory Development: Neurobiological, Cognitive, Clinical and Legal Perspectives
Publisher	Oxford University Press
ISBN (Electronic)	9780199867387
ISBN (Print)	9780195308457
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195308457.003.0006
State	Published - Apr 17 2008

Keywords

Adults
Autobiographical memory development
Child sexual abuse
Children
Memory
Overgeneral memory
PTSD
Trauma

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Psychology(all)

Access to Document

10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195308457.003.0006

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Cite this

Ogle, C. M., Block, S. D., Harris, L. S., Culver, M., Augusti, E. M., Timmer, S., Urquiza, A., & Goodman, G. S. (2008). Accuracy and Specificity of Autobiographical Memory in Childhood Trauma Victims: Developmental Considerations. In Stress, Trauma, and Children's Memory Development: Neurobiological, Cognitive, Clinical and Legal Perspectives Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195308457.003.0006

Accuracy and Specificity of Autobiographical Memory in Childhood Trauma Victims : Developmental Considerations. / Ogle, Christin M.; Block, Stephanie D.; Harris, Latonya S.; Culver, Michelle; Augusti, Else Marie; Timmer, Susan; Urquiza, Anthony; Goodman, Gail S.

Stress, Trauma, and Children's Memory Development: Neurobiological, Cognitive, Clinical and Legal Perspectives. Oxford University Press, 2008.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

Ogle, CM, Block, SD, Harris, LS, Culver, M, Augusti, EM, Timmer, S, Urquiza, A & Goodman, GS 2008, Accuracy and Specificity of Autobiographical Memory in Childhood Trauma Victims: Developmental Considerations. in Stress, Trauma, and Children's Memory Development: Neurobiological, Cognitive, Clinical and Legal Perspectives. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195308457.003.0006

Ogle CM, Block SD, Harris LS, Culver M, Augusti EM, Timmer S et al. Accuracy and Specificity of Autobiographical Memory in Childhood Trauma Victims: Developmental Considerations. In Stress, Trauma, and Children's Memory Development: Neurobiological, Cognitive, Clinical and Legal Perspectives. Oxford University Press. 2008 https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195308457.003.0006

Ogle, Christin M. ; Block, Stephanie D. ; Harris, Latonya S. ; Culver, Michelle ; Augusti, Else Marie ; Timmer, Susan ; Urquiza, Anthony ; Goodman, Gail S. / Accuracy and Specificity of Autobiographical Memory in Childhood Trauma Victims : Developmental Considerations. Stress, Trauma, and Children's Memory Development: Neurobiological, Cognitive, Clinical and Legal Perspectives. Oxford University Press, 2008.

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