Memory Beliefs, Misconceptions and Social influence in Health and Justice Contexts

Abstract

Belief in unconscious repression and dissociative amnesia is arguably associated with adverse outcomes for health and justice e.g., increased mental distress, false memory induction, erroneous accusations, and wrongful convictions. Both concepts are scientifically controversial. An important knowledge-gap is understanding whether the UK lay public, mental health professionals and lawyers endorse these beliefs. Study 1 contributes to this knowledge-gap. An online (quantitative) survey, collected novel data on beliefs about memory function, including for traumatic experiences, from UK laypersons, mental health and legal professionals. Novel data about belief in DID, body memories and psychogenic non-epileptic seizures was also collected from mental health participants. Other novel data collected from legal professionals concerned delayed sexual complaints. Results showed strong belief in unconscious repression and dissociative amnesia amongst all participant groups indicating a science-knowledge gap. Trauma-focused and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) practitioners showed the highest agreement for these and other controversial beliefs. EMDR practitioners showed the strongest belief in the validity of DID. Another knowledge gap is to better understand UK public belief in DID. Social media content may be inspiring potentially harmful, flawed self-diagnoses of DID. Study 2 contributes to this knowledge gap using a between-groups experiment. Study participants were randomly allocated to two groups and either viewed a short video clip explaining the trauma-model theory from a personal (experiencer condition) perspective or viewed an explanation of both competing theories presented by a psychologist (lecture condition). It was hypothesised that participants in the experiencer condition would show increased belief in DID. Results confirmed this hypothesis. A minority of participants in the experiencer condition also showed increased belief that they might have the condition and in the notion of body memories compared with the lecture condition. Study 1 and Study 2 make a significant new contribution to science. The implications of these new findings in health and justice are discussed and recommendations made for education, health and justice.

Date of Award	25 Feb 2026
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Portsmouth
Supervisor	Lawrence Patihis (Supervisor), Lorraine Hope (Supervisor) & Marika Henneberg (Supervisor)