title: Children's memory for trauma and positive experiences.
abstract: Characteristics of children's memory for a trauma and for a positive event were compared and relationships of memory characteristics to trauma symptoms examined in 30 children who experienced a traumatic event. Results revealed that memories for trauma tended to have less sensory detail and coherence, yet have more meaning and impact than did memories for positive experiences. Sexual traumas, offender relationship, and perceived life threat were associated with memory characteristics. Few relationships between memory characteristics and trauma symptoms were found. Therapist ratings of child memory characteristics were correlated with some child trauma memory characteristic reports. These results are consistent with other studies. Possible explanations include divided attention during the traumatic event and cognitive avoidance occurring after the event.
authors.affiliation: University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. lucyb@u.washington.edu
authors.forename: Lucy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Berliner
authors.forename: Ira
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hyman
authors.forename: Ayanna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fitzgerald
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D012649:Self Concept; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000523:psychology*