Study finds many remember events that never happened
In a world of misinformation and ‘fake news’, surely you can trust your own memory – right? Wrong. A recent study in the journal Memory found that false memories are common and can affect up to 50 per cent of people.
So how do they work? False memories aren't lies, in that people don’t create them intentionally to deceive others. One way that they can come about is through implantation. More than 400 participants in the Memory study had a series of fake autobiographical events suggested to them (like a ride in a hot air balloon), which were then backed up by a narrative and photos. Despite the fact that these events had never taken place, 30 per cent of the participants appeared to fully remember it and were even able to embellish the story with their own extra details. Fifty-three per cent believed that they had experienced the event to some degree.
And nobody is immune. Leading Australian psychologist Professor Elizabeth Loftus liken the memory to a Wikipedia page – anyone can open it up and make edits. "You can distort people's memories with a leading question or by exposing them to another person's version of an event," she said. "You can plant entirely false memories into the minds of people."
Sometimes people create these memories themselves either as a survival mechanism (by editing or erasing painful memories) or to enhance their own prestige (like inflating exam results or charitable contributions). However, there have been cases of individuals in a position of power, such as therapists and lawyers, implanting memories in vulnerable clients.
Incorrect or embellished memories can have serious consequences. Eyewitness testimony in criminal cases is based on memory. If these memories are unreliable, what does that mean for potentially thousands of people who have been convicted on the basis of an eyewitness?
All memory is a reconstruction, it’s in the very nature of the brain. So when people recall memories, they are in fact telling a story about themselves integrated with the things they genuinely remember. The problem is, a few extra details can often find their way in.
Related links:
These 4 personality quirks are a sign of intelligence
Getting distracted in old age is a good thing
Improve your memory with these 4 tips