The Earliest Memories of Criminals

The earliest memories were elicited from 32 male offenders and compared to those of 50 normal controls. The recollections of the offenders differed significantly from the normals in being more dramatic, more often unpleasant in quality, and more often depicting disturbing or aggressive interaction or reciprocity. This contrasted with the often bland tableaus of childhood presented by the normals. These preliminary findings point to a view of the world as damaging and themselves as damaged by the offenders. The earliest memory inquiry appears to be economical and useful adjunct to history taking in the ofttimes reluctant offender.