The Consequences of False Memories

False memories are misremembered, distorted, or fabricated recollections of past events. Such memories can be trivial, such as mistakenly remembering where you put your car keys. But they can also be much more serious, like when they result in an innocent person being accused of a crime they didn't commit.

Having false memories is common, with one in three people incorrectly remembering past experiences. Learn some of the ways these memories can impact your behavior, and also some strategies you can use to minimize the consequences of false memories.

Effects of False Memories

False memories can have a wide range of effects. Mistaken or distorted memories can affect our day-to-day lives, leading to mistakes at work, at home, and in other important areas.

Research has also found that people often hold distorted or false memories about significant historical events, which can contribute to what's known as the Mandela Effect. While people can describe "flashbulb memories" in vivid detail, comparing the details of these memories against historical records reveals significant flaws in these recollections.

The following are just a few of the ways that researchers have shown false memories can alter behavior.

Changed Health Habits

In one study, researchers created a false memory by suggesting that participants had become ill after eating certain foods as children. In other cases, false memories were created suggesting that people had tried certain foods and loved them. After being influenced by false memories, participants changed their behaviors and attitudes toward foods.

Some researchers have suggested that using deception to implant false memories could be used to create positive behavior changes such as eating a more balanced diet or exercising more. This technique might also help alleviate anxiety or treat psychological traumas.

Complicated Decision-Making

False memories can also have an impact on choice-supported remembering. In many cases, people misremember their choices, complicating the decision-making process. Research has shown that this can impact various decisions, including those that people make at the end of their lives.

For example, living wills are often touted as a way to ensure that end-of-life wishes are observed should the individual become seriously ill and unable to communicate. This document often includes specific information about the type of treatment, care, and interventions that a person does or does not want if they become terminally ill.

While many people create these documents and assume that they will recall what is in them, evidence suggests that this is not the case. Studies have shown that most people misremember their original choices about end-of-life decisions.

Serious Consequences of False Memories

False memories have also been implicated in several serious cases, some fatal. In such instances, false memories have had a dramatic and disturbing impact on people's lives.

• False memories have led to lawsuits and financial judgments against therapy providers when false repressed memories of traumatic events have been "uncovered" in therapy.
• False memories have also led to false accusations and false convictions for various crimes, including sexual abuse. Some defendants who have been convicted of crimes based on false recollections have had their convictions overturned, largely due to advances in science.
• False memories have been implicated in a number of hot car deaths in which parents have mistakenly left children locked in cars, with deadly results.

People often read such stories and immediately think, "It could never happen to me. I have an excellent memory." However, the evidence suggests otherwise. Everyone has false memories, even if their memory is great.

How to Prevent False Memories

The problem with false memories is that they are very difficult to spot once formed. They don't stand out from other memories and are instead seamlessly woven into the fabric of our remembered experiences.

In other words, there is no simple way to distinguish an accurate memory from a false one. Even the most vivid, clear, and distinct memories can be faulty.

That said, researchers have identified a few different strategies that might help prevent false memories from forming or help you distinguish the true from the false. Some of these strategies include:

• Use imagery: When people use imagery to create a visual representation of information, their memory for that information is better and less susceptible to false memories.
• Search your memory: Experts suggest that selectively searching memory for mistakes and falsehoods can sometimes be helpful.
• Evaluate and corroborate memories: If you find a memory that you aren't sure about, evaluating it based on your expectations and then collaborating it with other people's recollections or other historical data can help verify or disprove it.

One of the best ways to combat false memories is to be aware that they exist. Memory does not work like a video camera that records every detail exactly as it occurred and perfectly preserves it.

Summary

While we sometimes think of false memories as relatively rare, researchers have found that such memories are pretty common and easily formed. Perhaps more importantly, even those with excellent memories are susceptible to forming false memories.

The key is to realize that your memory is vulnerable to misinformation. So, while it may be helpful, perhaps you cannot place as much trust in it as you might think.