Re: APA President-elect

[Patricia Spiegel]

Well, last I heard evolutionary theory and space alien abductions were not 
being debated among psychologists.  But there were psychologists (including 
some very well-regarded ones) who were looking at the recovered memory 
issue.  I have not carefully followed that debate, so I will not argue it 
here except to note that in the professional literature I had not seen much 
of anything about the disputed side.  (Come on. "Entertainment Tonight" and 
"The National Enquirer" don't count.)

But more to the core of this:  To take one act that an individual engaged in 
and demonize the rest of him reminds me of tactics used in another recent 
presidential election.  Tell you what.  If the two Paul's and Stephen will 
give their permission, I will forward this thread to Koocher himself and let 
him respond to your concerns.  I look forward to hearing from the 3 of you.

Patricia Keith-Spiegel
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Paul Okami" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Friday, December 03, 2004 9:44 AM
Subject: Re: APA President-elect


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Patricia Spiegel" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Friday, December 03, 2004 12:22 PM
Subject: Re: APA President-elect

[snip]
Gerry
should not be judged by his interest in sharing "all sides of all
stories."
This is one of his strengths.  The recovered memory debate was happening,
and one side was receiving far more attention than the other, which is 
why
he had an interest in taking a look at the side that had not received 
much
of a forum within the field while the other side was getting all of the
attention despite methodological problems in that research as well.  And,
that is ALL there is to that.

   I think there is a serious problem with this position.  Shall we give
equal time to creationism as to evolutionary theory?  Is there a "debate"
about whether or not evolution has taken place?  Is there a "debate" about
whether or not human beings are being abducted by aliens en masse by for
strange sexual examinations on space craft?  In my view, all sides of an
issue should be presented--but only when all sides of an issue are 
rational.
   Moreover, I disagree that the "false memory" side has received "far 
more
attention" than the Satanic Ritual Abuse and Recovered Memory side.  This 
is
so patently false as to be a rather shocking proposition.  Every student I
have ever met has heard of SRA and Recovered Memory (and the vast majority
believe that these are real phenomena).  No more than one or two in each
class are aware that false memories may be created through therapeutic
intervention or by any other means, or that no evidence has ever been 
found
to substantiate the existence of Satanic Ritual Abuse (and indeed, the FBI
claims that this is a mental health issue, not a law enforcement issue).
Any professional psychiatrist or psychologist who proposes that we 
consider
the existence of SRA as just "another side in a debate"  ought to be
stripped of his or her credentials (as was Bennett Braun).

Paul

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