False Memories Can Influence Behavior

Here is a brief article on false memories and their potential consequences.  If you enjoy this article I highly recommend reading the two relevant articles posted below. (Click here to skip introduction and read the full article)

Article Introduction (Via PsyBlog)
Even when human memory is working normally, it is still frequently unfaithful. Instead of the total recall of, say, a video camera we get something more like a symbolist, or even abstract painting. Sights, sounds and smells are refracted by our minds into memories that often tell more about us than the original events they apparently record. Psychologists have found many processes that act like lenses, creating distorted memories of original events. These processes include things like cognitive dissonance, the consistency bias and misattribution. But what power do these distorted or false memories hold over the mind? How far are they able to weave themselves into the tapestry of our lives? In short: can false memories affect our everyday thought and behaviour?

Article Excerpts (Via PsyBlog)

“What this study clearly shows is that not only is it possible to instil false memories in a significant minority of people, but that these false memories can have a marked effect on behaviour.”

“What this experiment underlines is the idea that the way we remember, interpret and, perhaps, re-imagine the past has a profound effect on how we think and behave in the present.”

Click here to read full article on False Memories

Relevant Article #1: Certainty, Belief, and False Memories

Relevant Article #2: False Memories and Certainty