True and False Memories in Maltreated Children

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Abstract
Differences in basic memory processes between maltreated and nonmaltreated children were examined in an experiment in which middle‐socioeconomic‐status (SES; N=60), low‐SES maltreated (N=48), and low‐SES nonmaltreated (N=51) children (ages 5–7, 8–9, and 10–12 years) studied 12 Deese–Roediger–McDermott lists. Using recall and recognition measures, the results showed that both true and false memories increased with age and, contrary to some speculation, these trends did not differ as a function of maltreatment status. However, there were differences in overall memory performance as a function of SES. These results are discussed in the broader framework of children's memory development and the effects of the chronic stress associated with child maltreatment on basic memory processes.