02Jan04d Skeptical publications watch (D. Kahn)

Happy new year, everyone.

The November/December 2001 issue of "Skeptical Inquirer" contains the acceptance speech Elizabeth Loftus gave on receiving an award from the American Psychological Society for her research on memory, which showed that recovered memories are often false memories. 

The December 2001 issue of "Skepter", a publication of the Dutch skeptical foundation "Stichting Skepsis" ( www.skepsis.nl  ), has a review of Dutch psychologist Han Israëls' book "Heilige verontwaardiging" (Profound indignation).
Israëls analyzed the prestigious incest study by the Dutch female researcher Nel Draijer, which appeared in the late eighties/early nineties and is regarded as the standard work on incest. Israëls judged the methodology to be sound, but the reliance on some instances of recovered memories troublesome, and above all, found some conclusions to be unwarranted in view of Draijer's own sound data.
According to Israëls, Draijer exaggerated the effect of incest on later well-being, and downplayed other factors, notably the factor of having an austere father. The feminist press and politically correct influential scientists (such as the sociologist Paul Schnabel, who was also in the committee that deemed the Brongersma collection to be unscientific) immediately denounced Israëls for his book. A scientific institute canceled Israels' pending research job.
Draijer defended her contention that incest always has negative consequences by asserting that incest always goes hand in hand with emotional neglect. Otherwise, the attacks on Israëls were strongly ad hominem, and according to some critics, Israëls is partly to blame for this, due to his polemical (anti-feminist, anti-Freudian) attitude.
The review in Skepter praises Israëls throughout. The same issue of Skepter has a book review on a different topic by Israëls himself.

A couple of months ago, I sent some materials to "Stichting Skepsis", asking them to report on the Israëls incident. This may have encouraged them to do so, although I think the book review would have appeared anyway. I believe encouraging the skeptical press to report on issues of age-discrepant intimacy and sex involving minors is a useful, not to mention easy and safe form of activism. Write a letter now and then.

By the way, Frans Gieles wrote a great review of Israëls' book. It is due to appear in "OK" magazine.

D. Kahn