Torture Can't Provide Good Information, Argues Neuroscientist
Much ink has been spilled about the right and wrong of torturing terrorists, particularly since 16 April when the U.S. Department of Justice released memos detailing the "enhanced interrogation" of terrorism suspects during the Bush Administration. But what is less often discussed is whether or not torture works at all. Generally the debate has been whether torture causes detainees to say anything, possibly lying, to end the torture. But in an article published today in Trends in Cognitive Sciences, a neuroscientist compares torture's "folk psychology" assumptions to current models of brain function during stress and trauma. His conclusion: Torture causes brain damage that can wipe out memories of the desired information, or even create false ones. Author Shane O'Mara, a neuroscientist at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, says the CIA torture strategy seems: based on the idea that repeatedly inducing shock, stress, anxiety, disorientation and lack of control is more effective than standard interrogatory techniques in making suspects reveal information. Information retrieved from memory in this way is assumed to be reliable and veridical, as suspects will be motivated to end the interrogation by revealing this information. No supporting data for this model are provided; in fact, the model is utterly unsupported by scientific evidence.
But what is less often discussed is whether or not torture works at all. Generally the debate has been whether torture causes detainees to say anything, possibly lying, to end the torture. But in an article published today in Trends in Cognitive Sciences, a neuroscientist compares torture's "folk psychology" assumptions to current models of brain function during stress and trauma. His conclusion: Torture causes brain damage that can wipe out memories of the desired information, or even create false ones.
Author Shane O'Mara, a neuroscientist at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, says the CIA torture strategy seems:
based on the idea that repeatedly inducing shock, stress, anxiety, disorientation and lack of control is more effective than standard interrogatory techniques in making suspects reveal information. Information retrieved from memory in this way is assumed to be reliable and veridical, as suspects will be motivated to end the interrogation by revealing this information. No supporting data for this model are provided; in fact, the model is utterly unsupported by scientific evidence.
