According to Freud's psychoanalytic theory and his idea of repressed memory, if a person has a traumatic experience as a child, then that person will be unable to recall the experience later. Which of the following is the BEST conclusion you can draw about these ideas?
A) Freud's psychoanalytic theory has received some support from laboratory experiments, and it remains the best explanation of people's failure to remember early experiences.
B) Freud's psychoanalytic theory has largely been supported, and the idea of repressed memory has been clearly demonstrated in the laboratory.
C) People are correct to believe that repressed memory often occurs in the general population following a traumatic childhood experience.
D) Freud's ideas have often not been supported, and the idea that repressed memory is widespread is a psychological misconception.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Freud's idea of repressed memory and his psychoanalytic theory have not been supported by empirical evidence. The idea that traumatic childhood experiences are often repressed and later recovered through therapy is a widely held but controversial belief in psychology. Some research has suggested that memories of traumatic events are often accurate, and that the process of recovering supposedly repressed memories may actually create false memories. Therefore, it is more likely that repressed memory is not a widespread phenomenon.

According to Freud's Psychoanalytic Theory and His Idea of Repressed