Dissociative Amnesia is best described as which of the following?

Dissociative Amnesia is best described as which of the following?

• A. Sudden inability to recall important personal information not due to organic causes
• B. Chronic difficulty in forming new memories after a traumatic event
• C. An inability to recall general information from long-term memory
• D. Excessive memory recall that disrupts daily functioning.

Answer: (A)

Dissociative amnesia involves a sudden inability to recall important personal information about one’s life that cannot be explained by ordinary forgetfulness or a medical condition. This memory loss is autobiographical—centered on one’s own life history—and it often follows a traumatic or stressful event. The option that describes a sudden inability to recall important personal information fits this pattern exactly. The other descriptions point to different memory issues. Difficulty forming new memories after a traumatic event suggests problems with acquiring new information rather than forgetting what already happened. Inability to recall general information from long-term memory targets semantic memory, not personal life history. Excessive memory recall that disrupts daily functioning isn’t characteristic of dissociative amnesia and points to a different phenomenon.

Dissociative amnesia involves a sudden inability to recall important personal information about one’s life that cannot be explained by ordinary forgetfulness or a medical condition. This memory loss is autobiographical—centered on one’s own life history—and it often follows a traumatic or stressful event. The option that describes a sudden inability to recall important personal information fits this pattern exactly.

The other descriptions point to different memory issues. Difficulty forming new memories after a traumatic event suggests problems with acquiring new information rather than forgetting what already happened. Inability to recall general information from long-term memory targets semantic memory, not personal life history. Excessive memory recall that disrupts daily functioning isn’t characteristic of dissociative amnesia and points to a different phenomenon.