
via University of Portsmouth
Rich false memories of autobiographical events can be planted – and then reversed, a new paper has found.
The study highlights – for the first time – techniques that can correct false recollections without damaging true memories. It is published by researchers from the University of Portsmouth, UK, and the Universities of Hagen and Mainz, Germany.
There is plenty of psychological research which shows that memories are often reconstructed and therefore fallible and malleable. However, this is the first time research has shown that false memories of autobiographical events can be undone.
Studying how memories are created, identified and reversed could be a game changer in police and legal settings, where false memories given as evidence in a courtroom can lead to wrongful convictions.
According to Dr Hartmut Blank, co-author of the research from the University of Portsmouth’s Department of Psychology, “believing, or even remembering something that never happened may have severe consequences. In police interrogations or legal proceedings, for instance, it may lead to false confessions or false allegations, and it would be highly desirable, therefore, to reduce the risk of false memories in such settings.
“In this study, we made an important step in this direction by identifying interview techniques that can empower people to retract their false memories.”
The researchers recruited 52 participants for a study on ‘childhood memories’ and with the help of parents, they implanted two false negative memories that definitely didn’t happen, but were plausible. For example getting lost, running away or being involved in a car accident.
By empowering people to stay closer to their own truth, rather than rely on other sources, we showed we could help them realise what might be false or misremembered – something that could be very beneficial in forensic settings.
Dr Hartmut Blank, Reader in Experimental and Social Psychology
Along with two true events, which had actually happened, participants were persuaded by their parents that all four events were part of their autobiographical memory.
The participants were then asked to recall each event in multiple interview sessions. By the third session, most believed the false events had happened and – similar to previous research – about 40 per cent had developed actual false memories of them.
The researchers then attempted to undo the false memories by using two strategies.
The first involved reminding participants that memories may not always be based on people’s own experience, but also on other sources such as a photograph or a family member’s narrative. They were then asked about the source of each of the four events.
The second strategy involved explaining to them that being asked to repeatedly recall something can elicit false memories. They were asked to revisit their event memories with this in mind.
The result, according to Dr Blank, was that “by raising participants’ awareness of the possibility of false memories, urging them to critically reflect on their recollections and strengthening their trust in their own perspective, we were able to significantly reduce their false memories. Moreover, and importantly, this did not affect their ability to remember true events.
“We designed our techniques so that they can principally be applied in real-world situations. By empowering people to stay closer to their own truth, rather than rely on other sources, we showed we could help them realise what might be false or misremembered – something that could be very beneficial in forensic settings.”
Original Article: NEW STUDY FINDS FALSE MEMORIES CAN BE REVERSED
More from: University of Portsmouth | University of Hagen | Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz
The Latest Updates from Bing News & Google News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
False memories
- Rekindling memories of Tina Turner
Tina was not only a survivor but a true winner when she got out of that abusive relationship and established her solo career and earned world-wide fame in her forties.
- Traces of an Immigrant Girlhood
A photograph with faint writing on the back. A traveling chess set. A silver pin. In her new memoir, noted scholar and author Susan Rubin Suleiman uses such everyday objects and the memories they ...
- Money Memories
September 20, 2022 • Pinaman Owusu-Banahene is the founder and CEO of Adjoaa, an online fashion marketplace that highlights African designers. A graduate of the London School of Economics ...
- Fathers, teachers and neighbours face court over ‘memories’ of sex abuse
Three years ago, a South Australian father faced trial before a District Court judge after his 19-year-old daughter told police he had sexually assaulted her between the ages of seven and 10 while she ...
- The best memory foam mattress in 2023
Read our mattress methodology for more. The best memory foam mattresses offer body cradling comfort and deep pressure relief for most sleepers. We've tested a wide range of all-foam beds from ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
False memories
[google_news title=”” keyword=”false memories” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Reversing false memories
- On Location Helping WWE Memories Live Forever For Families
The Capitol Center, longtime home of the NBA's Bullets/Wizards and the NHL's Capitals, was demolished in 2002, a year before I graduated high school.
- Poor Verbal Memory Tied to Psychiatric Hospitalization With Affective Disorders
Poor verbal memory increases the risk for psychiatric hospitalization among individuals with affective disorders, according to a study published in the April issue ...
- Shadow of Doubt jury never heard girl’s memories were ‘recovered’
Lawyers who defended a couple accused of sadistic abuse by their daughter believed she was suffering “false memories” but abandoned their plans to raise that issue only weeks before the trial.
- False Memories and Memory Enhancement: Neuroscience Insights
Have you ever left your keys in a spot where you were sure you would remember, only to forget and have to retrace your steps? Or, have you ever vividly remembered an event that never actually ...
- The Development of Children's Memory
This book is a goldmine of research from some of the most important scholars of children’s memory. It is fitting that something this good be dedicated to the contributions of one of the true giants of ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Reversing false memories
[google_news title=”” keyword=”reversing false memories” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]