How to Recognize False Memories

False memories are more common than you might think. Learning how to recognize false memories can help you separate the facts from the fabrications.

Most of us like to believe that we have a reasonably good memory. Sure, we might forget where we left our car keys once in a while and of course, we have all forgotten someone's name, an important phone number, or maybe even the date of our wedding anniversary. But when it comes to remembering the important things, like a cherished childhood event, our memories are accurate and trustworthy, right?

What Are False Memories?

A false memory can be defined as inaccurate recollections of past events, mistaken details in a memory, or even complete fabrications of events that did not actually take place.

While we might liken our memories to a camera, preserving every moment in perfect detail exactly as it happened, the sad fact is that our memories are more like a collage, pieced together sometimes crudely with the occasional embellishment or even outright fabrication.

Surprisingly, people with exceptional memories are still susceptible to making things up without even realizing it. In some cases, large groups can even share the same false memory, a phenomenon known as the Mandela effect.

Research on False Memories

In one famous experiment carried out in 1995, memory expert Elizabeth Loftus was able to get 25% of her participants to believe a false memory that they were once lost in a shopping mall as a child. Another 2002 study revealed that half of participants could be led to wrongly believe that they had once taken a hot air balloon ride as a child simply by showing them manipulated photo "evidence."

Most of the time, these false memories are centered on things that are fairly mundane or inconsequential. Simple, everyday events that have few real consequences.

But sometimes these false memories can have serious or even devastating consequences. A false memory relayed during criminal testimony might lead to an innocent person being convicted of a crime. Clearly, false memory has the potential to be a serious problem, but why exactly do these incorrect memories form?

What Causes False Memories?

To learn how to recognize these memories, the first step is to identify some of the ways in which false memories could be constructed. There may be a few different factors involved in the formation of these false recollections.

Inaccurate Perception

Human perception isn't perfect. Sometimes we see things that aren't there and miss obvious things that are right in front of us. In many cases, false memories form because the information is not encoded correctly in the first place. For example, a person might witness an accident but not have a clear view of everything that happened.

Recounting the events that occurred can be difficult or even impossible since they did not actually witness all of the details. A person's mind might fill in the "gaps" by forming memories that did not actually occur.

Inference

In other cases, old memories and experiences compete with newer information. Sometimes it is old memories that interfere or alter our new memories, and in other instances, new information can make it difficult to remember previously stored information. As we are piecing old information back together, there are sometimes holes or gaps in our memory.

For example, you can probably distinctly remember where you were and what you were doing during the terrorist attacks of 9/11. While you probably feel like your memories of the event are pretty accurate, there is a very strong chance that your recollections have been influenced by subsequent news coverage and stories about the attacks.

Emotions

If you've ever tried to recall the details of an emotionally-charged event (e.g., an argument, an accident, a medical emergency), you probably realize that emotions can wreak havoc on your memory. Sometimes strong emotions can make an experience more memorable, but they can sometimes lead to mistaken or untrustworthy memories.

One older study found that negative emotions, in particular, were more likely to lead to the formation of false memories. Other studies have suggested that this false memory effect has less to do with negative emotions and more to do with arousal levels.

False memories were significantly more frequent during periods of high arousal than during periods of low arousal, regardless of whether the mood was positive, negative, or neutral. More recent research, however, found that the emotional tone, whether positive or negative, affected false memories more than arousal levels.

Misinformation

Sometimes accurate information gets mixed with incorrect information, which then distorts our memories for events. Loftus has been studying false memories since the 1970s and her work has revealed the serious consequences that misinformation can have on memory. In her studies, participants were shown images of a traffic accident.

The interviewers included leading questions or misleading information when questioned about the event after seeing the images. When the participants were later tested on their memory of the accident, those who had been fed misleading information were more likely to have false memories of the event.

The potential severe impact of this misinformation effect can be easily seen in the area of criminal justice, where mistakes can literally mean the difference between life and death. Some research suggests that false recollections during the interrogation process often contribute to wrongful convictions.

Misattribution

Misattribution can also play a role in the formation of false memories. Have you ever mixed up the details of one story with the details of another? For example, while telling a friend about your last vacation you might mistakenly relate an incident that happened on a vacation you took several years ago.

Fuzzy Tracing

When forming a memory, we don't always focus on the nitty-gritty details and instead remember an overall impression of what happened. Fuzzy trace theory suggests that we sometimes make verbatim traces of events and other times make only gist traces.

Verbatim traces are based on the real events as they actually happened, while gist traces are centered on our interpretations of events.

How does this explain false memories? Sometimes how we interpret information does not accurately reflect what really happened. These biased interpretations of events can lead to false memories of the original events.

Tips for Recognizing False Memories

So what can you do to tell if a memory is real or false? The reality is that there is no way to determine whether a memory is true or not unless you have some type of independent, outside evidence.  

Some strategies that may help improve your ability to trust a memory include the following:

• Look for outside evidence. If other evidence contradicts what you remember, it's important to question the accuracy of your own recollection.
• Remember that false memories happen to everyone. It doesn't matter how confidently you or someone else recalls the memory. It doesn't matter how much emotion lies behind it or how strongly you feel about it. You still might be wrong.
• Be aware of how outside influences might affect your memory. Even how a question is phrased might alter the details you reconstruct from memory. 
• Avoid misinformation. Consider the sources and stay away from clickbait headlines that are loaded with emotionally-provocative text designed to sway your opinions. Consider the purpose of the information, check sources, and use online tools to help determine if an image is altered or misattributed. 

Takeaway

While researchers are still learning more about the mechanisms behind how false memories form, it is clear that false memory is something that can happen to virtually anyone. These memories can range from the trivial to the life-altering, from the mundane to the potentially fatal.

The bottom line is this: Everyone remembers the past differently, and these memories are not always accurate. Distortions, misinformation, and other factors can all contribute to the formation of false memories. While there's no sure-fire trick for telling if a memory is true or false, being aware of the fallability of memory can be helpful.