Understanding how childhood abuse affects social memory across generations
Official title: Neural Mechanisms Promoting Biased Social Memories in Intergenerational Childhood Abuse
Funded at Temple Univ of the Commonwealth · NIH-11014331 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how experiencing mistreatment as a child affects how people remember their social interactions, especially why they might focus more on negative memories than positive ones, and it aims to help break the cycle of abuse in families by understanding the brain processes behind this.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Fellowship grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Temple Univ of the Commonwealth NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | November 1, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $22,921 |
| NIH project number | 5F31HD113512-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11014331 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals who have experienced childhood maltreatment and are interested in understanding its long-term effects on their social memory.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who have not experienced childhood abuse or maltreatment may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how childhood maltreatment influences the way individuals remember social interactions, particularly focusing on the tendency to recall negative experiences more than positive ones. By examining the brain mechanisms involved in this memory bias, the study aims to uncover why families may continue cycles of abuse across generations. Using a novel task called the Recall After Feedback Task (RAFT), researchers will link brain activity to memory recall, providing insights into potential intervention strategies. The goal is to better understand the cognitive processes that perpetuate intergenerational abuse.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new therapeutic approaches that help break the cycle of abuse by addressing memory biases.
How similar studies have gone: While the concept of memory bias in the context of childhood abuse is established, this specific approach using neurocognitive mechanisms is relatively novel and has not been extensively tested.
Where this research is happening
-
Temple Univ of the Commonwealth
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Johnston, Camille Rose — Temple Univ of the Commonwealth
- Study coordinator: Johnston, Camille Rose
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.