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Case 1:20-cr-00330-PAE Document 424-1 Filed 11/08/21 Page9of15 Comey, Moe, Pomerantz and Rohrbach November 1, 2021 Page 8 can arise when it was reasonable to believe consent was given but the alleged victim falsely believes that it was not. False Memory: The existence and prevalence of repressed memories is a source of controversy, and yet research does exist demonstrating the successful implantation of fabricated memories. In one of the first studies on the implantation of false memories, participants were given short narratives of childhood experiences, purportedly obtained from relatives, and asked to try to remember these experiences. Research by Elizabeth Loftus has revealed how subtle information introduced after an event may alter the memory of that event. Loftus and her students have conducted more than 200 studies with more than 20,000 participants demonstrating how misinformation introduced after an event can induce people into creating false memories. Intoxication: Intoxication can substantially increase the likelihood of a false allegation of sexual assault. Alcohol and other intoxicants pose a significant problem in sorting out the validity of a sexual assault allegation. The information-processing errors induced by intoxicating substances may cause confusion surrounding events that occurred while a person was intoxicated. A person who does not accurately recall events that occurred while he or she was under the influence or while experiencing the side effects of withdrawal from a substance may attempt to make sense out of the disjointed and seemingly incoherent memories of events that occurred while intoxicated. In an effort to make sense of and organize what memories are intact, a person may confabulate or fill in the memory lapses with events that seem probable or which for some reason they come to believe “must have” taken place. Antisocial Personality Disorder: The essential feature of antisocial personality disorder is a pervasive pattern of behavior that disregards and violates of the rights of others. It often begins in early childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood. If an individual with antisocial personality disorder is likely to lie to achieve power and pleasure, a false allegation of sexual assault might be the means by which he or she attempts to achieve power over the falsely accused. Falsely claiming someone sexually assaulted you can be an aggressive act and a lack of remorse could allow the individual to file an allegation of sexual assault and maintain this allegation with few, if any, conflicts of conscience. Thus, a pathway to a false allegation of sexual assault can occur when an individual with antisocial personality disorder makes a false claim of assault. Borderline Personality Disorder: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a serious mental condition characterized by affective dysregulation, impulsiveness, difficulties in interpersonal relationships, and difficulties with self-image. Of particular note is the rapid switching from idealization to devaluation, impulsivity, and manipulative features of borderline personality disorder. The instability of relationships experienced by an individual with BPD may be rooted in the tendency to quickly switch from idealizing significant others or lovers to devaluing them. This sudden change in conceptualization of a partner is often caused by feeling that the partner is not caring enough or giving enough or by suspicion of abandonment. The rapid shifting between idealizing and demonization may bring about a change in perspective such that a relationship that was viewed idealistically in the past is now seen through the devalued lens of abuse or mistreatment. Past events then may become construed as “abuse” and may lead a person DOJ-OGR-00006261