What Is a False Memory How Fake Memories Form

What Is a False Memory How Fake Memories Form Theories Cognitive Psychology Print False Memories By Kendra Cherry facebook twitter Kendra Cherry, MS, is an author, educational consultant, and speaker focused on helping students learn about psychology. Learn about our editorial policy Kendra Cherry Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on March 22, 2016 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on May 08, 2019 Image Source / Getty Images More in Theories Cognitive Psychology Behavioral Psychology Developmental Psychology Personality Psychology Social Psychology Biological Psychology Psychosocial Psychology In This Article Table of Contents Expand Definition Causes Impact Research View All Back To Top A false memory is a fabricated or distorted recollection of an event. Such memories may be entirely false and imaginary. In other cases, they may contain elements of fact that have been distorted by interfering information or other memory distortions. Memory Mistakes Are Quite Common People often think of memory as something like a video recorder, accurately documenting and storing everything that happens with perfect accuracy and clarity. In reality, memory is very prone to fallacy. People can feel completely confident that their memory is accurate, but this confidence is no guarantee that a particular memory is correct. Examples of this phenomenon can range from the fairly mundane, such as incorrectly recalling that you locked the front door, to the much more serious, such as falsely remembering details of an accident you witnessed. Learn more about how psychologists define false memories, how these memories form, and the impact that such memories can have. Definitions of False Memory How do psychologists define false memory? How do they distinguish it from other forms of memory fallibility? Some common elements of false memory include: False memories are mental experiences that people believe are accurate representations of past events.False memories often revolve around trivial details (believing you put your keys on the table when you got home) to much more serious (believing you saw someone at the scene of a crime).False memory differs from simple memory errors. While we are all prone to memory fallibility false memory is more than a simple mistake; it involves a level of certitude in the validity of the memory. While we all experience memory failures from time to time, false memories are unique in that they represent a distinct recollection of something that did not actually happen. It is not about forgetting or mixing up details of things that we experienced; it is about remembering things that we never experienced in the first place. What Causes False Memory? So why do false memories happen? Factors that can influence false memory include misinformation and misattribution of the original source of the information. Existing knowledge and other memories can also interfere with the formation of a new memory, causing the recollection of an event to be mistaken or entirely false. Suggestion can lead to false memories. Memory researcher Elizabeth Loftus has demonstrated through her research that it is possible to induce false memories through suggestion. She has also shown that these memories can become stronger and more vivid as time goes on. Over time, memories become distorted and begin to change. In some cases, the original memory may be changed in order to incorporate new information or experiences. The Potential Impact of False Memories While we are all familiar with the fallibility of memory (who hasnt forgotten an important bit of information), many people do not realize just how common false memory really is. People are remarkably susceptible to suggestion, which can create memories of events and things that didnt really happen to us. For example: Most of the time these false memories are fairly inconsequential - a memory that you brought the keys in the house and hung them up in the kitchen, when in reality you left them out in the car, for example. In other instances, false memories can have serious implications. Researchers have found that false memories are one of the leading causes of false convictions, usually through the false identification of a suspect or false recollections during police interrogations. Who Is Affected by False Memories? Loftuss groundbreaking research has shown just how easily and readily false memories can form. In one study, participants watched video of an automobile accident and were then asked some questions about what they saw in the film. Some participants were asked How fast were the cars going when they smashed into each other? while others were asked the same question but the words smashed into were replaced with hit. When the participants were given a memory test pertaining to the accident a week later, those who had been asked the smashed into question were more likely to have a false memory of seeing broken glass in the film. Time can influence false memory formation: Loftus has suggested that false memories form more readily when enough time has passed that the original memory has faded. In eyewitness testimony for example, the length of time between the incident and being interviewed about the event plays a role in how suggestible people are to false memory. If interviewed immediately after an event, when the details are still vivid, people are less likely to be influenced by misinformation. If, however, an interview is delayed for a period of time, people are more likely to be affected by potential false information. A Word From Verywell While it might be difficult for many people to believe, everyone has false memories. Our memories are generally not as reliable as we think and false memories can form quite easily, even among people who typically have very good memories.