212:. This focus included preventing future incidents, helping individuals and reconciling families affected by FMS, publicizing information about FMS, sponsoring research on it and discovering methods to distinguish true and false memories of abuse. This initial group was composed of academics and professionals and the organization sought out researchers in the fields of memory and clinical practice to form its advisory board. The goal of the FMSF expanded to become more than an advocacy organization, also attempting to address the issues of
363:, while studies cited by the FMSF are often laboratory experiments exploring the creation of memories that do not involve historical childhood sexual abuse. Ethical considerations prevent the implementation of experiments that would involve creating false memories related to childhood sexual abuse. In addition, though the FMSF claims false memories are due to dubious therapeutic practices, the organization presents no data to demonstrate these practices are widespread or form an organized treatment modality.
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percent of the coverage was weighted toward stories of survivors, with recovered memory taken for granted and questionable therapy virtually ignored" but that three years later "more than 80 percent of the coverage focused on false accusations, often involving supposedly false memory" which the author of the study, Katherine
Beckett, attributed to FMSF.
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as being satisfied with sloppy, inaccurate statistics? Could it be viewed as a profound insult to women to give them slogans rather than accurate information about how memory works'". S.J. Dallam criticized the foundation for describing itself as a scientific organization while undertaking partisan political and social activity.
345:
J.A. Walker claimed the FMSF reversed the gains made by feminists and victims in gaining acknowledgment of the incestuous sexual abuse of children. Responding to this criticism the
Foundation stated, "Is it not 'harmful to feminism to portray women as having minds closed to scientific information and
249:
Founded in March 1992 by Pamela and Peter Freyd, after their thirty-three year old daughter
Jennifer Freyd accused her father of sexually abusing her as a teenager. The parents believed that their daughter's memories of abuse were due to a therapist who had influenced fabricated remembrances of abuse
349:
The claims made by the FMSF for the incidence and prevalence of false memories have been criticized as lacking evidence and disseminating alleged inaccurate statistics about the problem. While the existence of a specific diagnostic "syndrome" is debated, including amongst FMSF members, researchers
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due to the unsubstantiated nature of reports and the 1992 FBI investigation on the matter. They further say that memories for events beginning between "birth and age 2" should be considered "with extreme caution". A distinguishing feature of FMS is that the memories were discovered after starting
341:
Stanton states that, "Rarely has such a strange and little-understood organization had such a profound effect on media coverage of such a controversial matter." A study showed that in 1991 prior to the group's foundation, of the stories about abuse in several popular press outlets "more than 80
272:
was coined to define a set of behaviours and actions resulting from false memories of trauma and/or sexual abuse. The memories are recovered as an adult, usually during therapy and contested by the person accused. This pattern furthered the need to incorporate in order to provide research and
332:
The FMSF dissolved on
December 31, 2019, quoting the increasing number of supportive avenues online for discussion regarding false memories. With the increased education of the legal system regarding false or recovered memories, the need for the FMSF had declined.
276:
Initially, the
Foundation sought to document the phenomena of false memories, provide support to parents accused by their adult children, and to raise awareness in the media. Other founding members of the FMSF were psychiatrists from Philadelphia,
261:. Pamela Freyd used the name Jane Doe but details made it obvious who really was responsible, thus outing daughter Jennifer Freyd. The parents decided to form the organization False Memory Syndrome Foundation (FMSF) out of their home in
225:
stated that the FMSF "helped revolutionize the way the press and the public view one of the angriest debates in
America—whether an adult can suddenly remember long-forgotten childhood abuse". The FMSF originated and popularized the term
241:, as it is not a psychiatric diagnosis or illness, but it is included in public advisory guidelines relating to mental health. The foundation believed that false memories devalued the tragedy of real abuse.
234:
was, in turn, originated as a catch-all term for the types of therapies that were used to attempt to recover memories, and observed to create false memories. False memory syndrome is not included in the
257:
The accusations between the family members escalated after Pamela Freyd published an article in 1991 titled “How Could This Happen? Coping with a False
Accusation of Incest and Rape” in the journal
773:
329:. The Scientific Advisory Board included both clinicians and researchers. The FMS Foundation was funded by contributions and had no ties to any commercial ventures.
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to describe a "pattern of beliefs and behaviors" which followed after participation in therapy intended to recover previously unknown memories. The term
405:
Packard, Noel (January 15, 2003). "Conceptualizing
Parents as Victims of their Children: the founding of the False Memory Syndrome Foundation".
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specific forms of therapy and considerable effort and time was taken to recover them through methods such as hypnosis,
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affiliated with the FMSF have said that a memory should be presumed false if it involves accusations of
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in his critique of the recovered memory claims of UFO abductees and those purporting to be victims of
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Olio KA (2004). "The Truth About "False Memory
Syndrome"". In Cosgrove L; Caplan PJ (eds.).
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Olio KA (2004). "The Truth About 'False Memory
Syndrome'". In Cosgrove L, Caplan PJ (eds.).
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Members of the FMS Foundation Scientific Advisory Board included a number of members of the
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that seemed to have caused the behavioral changes in their now-adult children.
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776:. Department of Human Services, State Government of Victoria. Archived from
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185:) was a nonprofit organization founded in 1992 and dissolved in late 2019.
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654:"The Construction of False Memory Syndrome: The Experience of Retractors"
457:"Crisis or Creation: A Systematic Examination of 'False Memory Syndrome'"
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200:. The FMSF described its purpose as the examination of the concept of
602:"The FMSF Scientific and Professional Advisory Board – Profiles"
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Conference Papers presented at the 2003 Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA
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1005:"The Construction of False Memory Syndrome: A Transactional Model"
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Try to remember: Psychiatry's clash over meaning, memory and mind
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Misinformation concerning child sexual abuse and adult survivors
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Memory and abuse: remembering and healing the effects of trauma
213:
723:. New York: Haworth Maltreatment & Trauma Press. pp.
718:
167:
1084:
The Demon-Haunted world: Science as a Candle in the Dark
914:. Berkeley: University of California Press. pp.
238:
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
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and advocacy on behalf of individuals believed to be
966:"Prevention and management of false memory syndrome"
749:"Adult Recovered Memories of Childhood Sexual Abuse"
912:
Trauma cinema: documenting incest and the Holocaust
751:. Canadian Psychiatric Association. Archived from
604:. False Memory Syndrome Foundation. Archived from
426:. False Memory Syndrome Foundation. Archived from
1121:
1003:Lief, Harold I.; Fetkewicz, Janet M. (1997).
1002:
822:
950:(1). Committee for Skeptical Inquiry: 16–19.
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570:Childhood sexual abuse: a reference handbook
424:"About the False Memory Syndrome Foundation"
1086:. New York: Ballantine Books. p. 166.
645:
1054:. Northvale, N.J: Jason Aronson. pp.
719:Fink PJ; Whitfield Cl; Silberg JL (2001).
543:. Northvale, N.J: Jason Aronson. pp.
254:over an upcoming Christmas family visit.
48:. Please do not remove this message until
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250:when Jennifer sought out therapy for her
68:Learn how and when to remove this message
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370:cited material from a 1995 issue of the
44:Relevant discussion may be found on the
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273:advocate for others falsely accused.
157:Pamela Freyd, PhD - Executive Director
126:To seek the reasons for the spread of
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942:(2015). "The False Memory Syndrome".
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652:de Rivera, Joseph (December 1997).
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188:The FMSF was created by Pamela and
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637:(July/August 1997). Archived from
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366:Astrophysicist and astrobiologist
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1140:Organizations established in 1992
1130:Child abuse-related organizations
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970:Advances in Psychiatric Treatment
837:. False Memory Sydrome Foundation
407:American Sociological Association
383:: Science as a Candle in the Dark
259:Issues in Child Abuse Accusations
198:sexual abuse when she was a child
1111:False Memory Syndrome Foundation
861:False Memory Syndrome Foundation
835:False Memory Syndrome Foundation
288:
179:False Memory Syndrome Foundation
81:False Memory Syndrome Foundation
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883:""The Memory War" and the FMSF"
881:Binga, Tim (28 January 2021).
798:Whitfield, Charles L. (1995).
1:
1113:on the Nonprofit Explorer at
1052:Bias in psychiatric diagnosis
541:Bias in psychiatric diagnosis
461:Journal of Child Sexual Abuse
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192:, after their adult daughter
517:Heaney, Katie (2021-01-06).
295:National Academy of Sciences
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50:conditions to do so are met
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1021:10.1207/s15327965pli0804_5
774:"Recovered Memory Therapy"
670:10.1207/s15327965pli0804_1
635:Columbia Journalism Review
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222:Columbia Journalism Review
831:"Advisory Board Profiles"
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964:Merskey, Harold (1998).
263:Center City Philadelphia
232:recovered memory therapy
206:recovered memory therapy
631:"U-Turn on Memory Lane"
409:. Washington DC: 1–22.
381:The Demon-Haunted World
196:accused her father of
1009:Psychological Inquiry
658:Psychological Inquiry
641:on December 16, 2007.
477:10.1300/J070v09n03_02
317:, Philip S. Holzman,
299:Institute of Medicine
270:false memory syndrome
228:false memory syndrome
202:false memory syndrome
128:false memory syndrome
829:Freyd, PhD, Pamela.
568:Kinnear, KL (2007).
376:Satanic ritual abuse
352:satanic ritual abuse
337:Reception and impact
219:Mike Stanton in the
144:, Pennsylvania, U.S.
982:10.1192/apt.4.5.253
910:Walker, JA (2005).
455:Dallam, SJ (2001).
82:
37:of this article is
944:Skeptical Inquirer
887:Center for Inquiry
378:in his last book,
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857:"About FMSF"
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841:12 February
576:. pp.
283:Harold Lief
279:Martin Orne
190:Peter Freyd
99:Peter Freyd
97:Pamela and
1124:Categories
1115:ProPublica
1093:0345409469
1065:0765700018
892:24 January
866:14 January
815:1558743200
784:2010-12-13
759:2010-12-13
692:McHugh, PR
612:2009-09-16
503:2007-12-31
434:2009-09-16
389:References
368:Carl Sagan
153:Key people
89:March 1992
58:April 2024
35:neutrality
1029:1047-840X
990:1355-5146
678:1047-840X
361:anecdotal
268:The term
117:501(c)(3)
105:Dissolved
46:talk page
1082:(1996).
694:(2008).
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485:17521989
471:: 9–36.
135:Location
39:disputed
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523:The Cut
467:(3/4).
245:History
162:Website
123:Purpose
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86:Founded
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214:memory
1033:JSTOR
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489:S2CID
1088:ISBN
1060:ISBN
1025:ISSN
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920:ISBN
916:64–5
894:2024
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843:2024
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729:ISBN
700:ISBN
674:ISSN
582:ISBN
549:ISBN
481:PMID
297:and
204:and
183:FMSF
177:The
113:Type
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