ABSTRACT
The development of memory for emotional and traumatic events is of great interest for psychological theory and legal application. Important questions abound, such as: How does the emotional or traumatic nature of an experience affect memory and its development? Does infantile amnesia pertain to traumatic events? How does coping with emotional and traumatic events affect children's memory and adults’ memory of childhood trauma? These questions are of great interest not only to psychologists but also to the legal system. We review theory and research relevant to these and other pressing questions. We note that when children or adults experience events such as physical or sexual abuse or when they witness violent crimes, they are tasked with accurately recalling what occurred. Several key factors may influence their ability to do so. These include, but are not limited to, the emotional valence of the event in question, the level of arousal experienced by the victim or witness, their level of participation in the event, and individual characteristics such as age and gender. Developmental psychologists, neuroscientists, and trauma researchers have studied the conditions under which memory for emotional and traumatic events is bolstered or hindered. These studies include laboratory-based experiments and field research that captures real-world traumatic events such as natural disasters and school shootings. Findings shed light on the mechanisms that influence memory for emotional and traumatic experiences and have important implications for developmental psychology and for the legal context in which victims and witnesses are called upon to recall these events with precision and completeness.
