Constructing Fake Constructing Fake Memories and Memories and

Forgetting Real OnesForgetting Real Ones

Forgetting and Distortions of Memory

• In the 80’s and 90’s “recovered memories” were big headlines.

• Individuals of all ages were claiming to suddenly remember events that had been “repressed” and forgotten for years.

• Often these memories were of abuse. • Sometimes these recovered memories

were corroborated with physical evidence and justice was served.

• Other times they were discovered to be fabricated or constructed memoriesconstructed memories

Constructed memory• A memory or recollection

of an event that is false or contains false details that never actually occurred – Theory that holds that

memory is not a replica of the past but a representation, or reconstructionreconstruction, of the past

– Reconstruction can lead to distorted memories of events and experiences

Elizabeth Loftus Famous Memory researcher Famous Memory researcher showed that leading questions can showed that leading questions can

easily influence us to recall false easily influence us to recall false details details

questioners can create entirely new questioners can create entirely new memory by repeatedly asking memory by repeatedly asking leading questionsleading questions Especially true in childrenEspecially true in children

Why Do We Forget??Why Do We Forget??It is inevitable we all will forget things…but why and how much?

•Retention– The proportion of learned information that is

retained or remembered– The flip side of forgetting

Forgetting as an Encoding Forgetting as an Encoding FailureFailure

Forgetting is often a problem with Forgetting is often a problem with how information was encodedhow information was encoded

You sometimes haven’t forgotten You sometimes haven’t forgotten informationinformation The information was actually never The information was actually never

encoded in your memory or not encoded encoded in your memory or not encoded at a deep enough levelat a deep enough level

It never has a chance to enter our LTMIt never has a chance to enter our LTM.. Sometimes called pseudoforgettingSometimes called pseudoforgetting

Encoding Failure

Forgetting as a Storage FailureForgetting as a Storage Failure• Memories, even saved ones, can decay

over time

– Decay TheoryDecay Theory• Memories just go away over timeMemories just go away over time

– Without rehearsal, we forget thing over time.

• Hermann Ebbinghaus Hermann Ebbinghaus and his Forgetting Curveand his Forgetting Curve– Said as time passes by information is forgotten

gradually– Actually spent time plotting this on a graph– Example – remembering new vocab. words and

forgetting more as time goes by– Example – first day forget very few, but

forgetting speeds up over time

Ebbinghaus’s Forgetting Curve

Forgetting as a Retrieval Failure

• It’s in there but you can not get it out

– Tip-of-the-tongue PhenomenonTip-of-the-tongue Phenomenon• Forgotten information feels like it is just out of

reach

• InterferenceInterference– One memory gets in the way of another

• Two Kinds of Interference– Proactive InterferenceProactive Interference– Retroactive InterferenceRetroactive Interference

Proactive Interference

• Earlier memories Earlier memories interfere with new interfere with new onesones

– Remembering earlier addresses while having a hard time remembering your new one

If you call your new girlfriend your old girlfriend’s name.

Retroactive Interference

• New memories reduce ability to retrieve older memories

• Remembering new sport champs and forgetting older ones – or forgetting your old phone number when you get a new one

When you finally remember this years locker combination, you forget last years.

Other Reasons We May Forget• Motivated Forgetting

– Forgetting can sometimes provide a protection from painful memories

– RepressionRepression• Psychogenic Amnesia• The process of moving anxiety producing

memories to the unconscious – Freud

• Physical Injury or Trauma– Anterograde AmnesiaAnterograde Amnesia

• The inability to remember events that occur

after an injuryafter an injury or traumatic event

– Retrograde AmnesiaRetrograde Amnesia• The inability to remember events that occurred

before an injurybefore an injury or traumatic event

Other Reasons We Forget• Distortions of Memory

– We sometimes construct memories that did not happen or distort the ones that we do have

– Misinformation EffectMisinformation Effect• Incorporating misleading information of an event into

one’s memory• Possible planted memories• Example – sometimes used by lawyers – Law and

Order Clip

– Children’s RecallChildren’s Recall• Very open to misinformation effect• Often provide memories they think an adult expects

to hear or when asked very leading questions• Can be a problem when testifying against an

accused or falsely accused person

Other Reasons We May Forget• Source Amnesia

– Having to remember at the time of recall where memories came from

– “did I read that in the Post or NY Times?”– It is also common for people to mix up fictional

information from novels and movies with factual information from news and personal experiences

• Cryptomnesia– Inadvertent plagiarism that occurs when people

come up with an idea that they think is original when they were actually exposed to it earlier

• Confabulation– is the confusion of imagination with memory, and/or

the confusion of true memories with false memories – Trying to fill in the blanks of something you are

trying to remember with false memories

Deja VuDeja Vu Usually translated as already lived or already feltUsually translated as already lived or already felt the experience of feeling sure that one has the experience of feeling sure that one has

witnessed or experienced a new situation witnessed or experienced a new situation previouslypreviously

Possible explanationsPossible explanations An anomaly of memoryAn anomaly of memory

an overlap between the an overlap between the short-term memory (events (events which are perceived as being in the present) and the which are perceived as being in the present) and the long-term memory (events which are perceived as (events which are perceived as being in the past) being in the past)

Neural misfiringNeural misfiring Two neurons firing from different sources, thus Two neurons firing from different sources, thus

coming up with two sensations (of the same coming up with two sensations (of the same stimulus) each seeming like a different event at a stimulus) each seeming like a different event at a different timedifferent time

Memory Accuracy

Was the memory encoded?

Has the memory decayed?

Is there information interfering with the memory?

Is there a reason not to

remember?

Are there falsely

constructed memory details?

Don’t Always Trust Your Memory!!!Don’t Always Trust Your Memory!!!