False Memory

False memories are an apparent recollection of an event that did not actually occur. The reason why false memories happen are due to the fact that one's brains can only handle so much.There has been several experiment pertaining to the phenomenon, to find how it works.In the next part of the experiment the psychologist showed the participants a word list.False memories are very common and can happen to anyone. On very rare occasions false memories can be harmful to someone and the people around them.False memories are so common that they affect all of a person's memories. False memories can be made more clear by others memories or they could become more distorted. False memories have caused many wrongful convictions. A psychologist

1) Memory is the act of reviewing or processing of what has been studied. We use memory to learn and think in our everyday lives. Memory is a personal library in our brain for us to look back at information we encounter in our lives. While doing research on this paper I stumbled upon a lot of informations about memory and tips and trick to improve our memory. In chapter 7 of Karen Huffman and Katherine Dowdell's textbook, I learned amazing new bits knowledge into how we recall information and why we forget. Memory is broken up into three parts. You have encoding, storage, retrieval. Encoding is the introductory learning data. Storage is the maintenance of encoded data over time. Retrieval is the ability to get to the data when you need it. All three of memory stages figures out if something is recollected or forgotten. Students will likely not remember

When a person has a fabricated or distorted recollection of an event, they are experiencing a false memory. A false memory is a mental experience that is mistaken for a veridical representation of an event from one’s personal past. (Kendra Cherry) There are two types of false memories: minor and major. A minor false memory can be some as simple as someone thinking they left their keys on the table, but actually left them in the bedroom. A major false memory could be someone believing they have been abducted from aliens. False memories occur frequently and can take control over someone’s life. Therapists have many approaches that they use to try and help one recollect their memory. While trying to help, they may actually worsen the problem. Research supports the salience of false recollections over accurate ones in people, potentially indicating that every person in a given society can fall victim to their effects. Revealing that this theory has more truth than many expect affecting many people within our societies.

Memory is a capacity that humans rely upon to relate to different events, experiences, conditions, and people. It is a vitally important process and system whereby the brain receives information from (external or internal) stimuli, stores it (encoding), and makes it available on a future occasion (retrieval). It provides continuity to people’s experiences across different periods of time.

Psychologists have diligently studied the human mind for many years and have yet to discover some of the ways that the brain performs simple and complex tasks. Since the knowledge that has been obtained concerning processes of the brain remains a mere fraction compared to what is unknown about cognitive functioning, individuals cannot fully grasp the reasoning behind why the brain performs some of the acts it does. Many people daydream, picture themselves recovering lost items in obscure places, or even create stories repeated so much that individuals begin to believe they may have happened; all three of these examples are forms of creating a false memory. Many psychologists have researched, evaluated, and experimented with false memory, which has lead to the discovery of False Memory Syndrome, a condition in which individuals contract false memories while almost always remaining oblivious to the act of creating a memory that is not factual or concrete (Berger 1). False memory syndrome develops as a result of many different internal and external forces such as mind manipulation in psychological malpractice, severe trauma to the brain in the first few years of life, a traumatic experience, or even by forcing one’s self into believing an entirely made-up thought; however, seemingly healthy individuals can contract the syndrome without the slightest idea it is present.

Fairfield, B., Colangelo, M., Mammarella, N., Di Domenico, A., & Cornoldi, C. (2017). Affective false memories in dementia of alzheimer's type. Psychiatry Research, 249, 9-15. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2016.12.036

I recently watched a YouTube documentary that focused on both false testimonies by children and memory. Stephen Ceci, a psychologist, studies the accuracy of children's courtroom testimony, particularly in cases claiming physical abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect (Park Productions, 2012). In this documentary, he was called in court as an expert who studies children to state whether the child was telling the truth or dishonest. The cases he worked with were from the late 1980s to the 2000s. Psychologist Stephen Ceci, researched that children who are questioned using suggestible language are prone to implant the topic of question into their minds and will eventually become a false memory. There is one particular study in which he experimented

In my data for the false memory task, I found I was able to accurately recognize 91.7% of the words shown in the recognition task that were from the original lists. I also falsely remembered 16.7% of words that were not originally shown, but were related. Fortunately, I did not falsely remember any words (0%) that were not originally shown or related to the words in the original list.

False Memory Syndrome is not just a condition that is caused mentally. Many factors need to be considered when looking at this type of problem. Syndromes can be difficult to live with even if one receives treatment or therapy. False memory syndrome is one of the hardest conditions to recover from no matter what age a person is. False memory syndrome has many causes that will often trigger horrendous symptoms, and therapy is one of the only treatments that may be able to help.

Third, research shows that testing brought positive effect to student learning. It is human nature to stay complacent with the status-quo. Except for a few driven ones, most students would choose to procrastinate studying if no tests are administered. Testing, therefore, can serve as a positive “pressure” that help students to push their limits on a regular

Over the course of an individual’s life time, the amount of specific memories encountered is endless. Because there are so many moments throughout a life span, it can be nearly impossible to remember them all. The article Creating False Memories written by, E. Loftus, focuses on the idea that therapist and psychologists can indirectly plant false memories within their patient’s thoughts. To begin, this article opens up with various real life examples of court cases where individuals have sued their psychologist for planting false memories into their thoughts. Many of these cases resulted in patients feeling as though they were sexually abused by their closest family members.

Cherry, K. (2016, March 19). What Is a False Memory? Retrieved April 30, 2016, from https://

Throughout false memory cases, many people create a false memory and later suddenly remember the truth. By saying this false memory, several people are wrongly prosecuted for a crime they never committed. In 60 years of research on memory and trauma, 14,000 people are victims of rape or sexual abuse. Within these 14,000 cases, no evidence is present that people have repressed memories that is entirely forgotten.

False Memories are fundamentally, unintended human errors, which results in people having memories of events and situations that did not actually occur. It’s worth noting that in humans there are both true and false memories, these false memories occur when a mental experience is incorrectly taken to be a representation of a past event. For example, when people are asked to describe something that happened at a particular time, people rarely deliver accurate answers. Based on research, in eyewitness testimony, the confidence people show while recalling

Two scientists successfully implanted fake memories into mince. The experience was simple. Mouse A was put in a box where his foot got electrocuted. It brain encoded memory of fear. Now mouse B is put in the box, encoded with mouse A memory, and reacted with fear. This behavior was recorded to be abnormal because mouse B never got shock. Several experiments was conducted to created false memory and they had indeed succeed.