Psychologists are seriously interested in the mechanism of the formation of so-called "false memories". Elizabeth Loftusza, professor of psychology at the University of Washington, has found out over the years of research how easy it is to inspire a person with something that actually did not exist. The participants in the experiments, the psychologists themselves, were involved in the game, which they did not even suspect, and invented many "details" for a non-existent memory
The scientist was prompted to research in this area by the increasing cases of the development of false memory in patients of certified psychotherapists. During hypnosis sessions, patients suddenly began to "remember" cases of sexual aggression that happened to them in early childhood. After the end of the hypnosis session, the patients were convinced that their memories were real, and even tried to sort things out with the offenders.
Distinguishing true memories from false ones is extremely difficult. A growing body of research in this area demonstrates that, under certain circumstances, false memories can be easily implanted in people's memory. Experiments show that people who witness some events can later, under the influence of incorrect information, "change" their memories. For example, witnesses to a traffic accident who claimed that the driver who did not notice the yellow traffic light was to blame were divided into two groups. One group was presented with “proof” that the light was green, and the other group had received no false information about the incident. After some time, both groups of witnesses were re-interviewed, and those people who were given false information suddenly "remembered"that the traffic light was green, not red, as they had previously stated.
False information, misinformation of any kind can damage our real memory. This can happen while talking to other people or, for example, reading newspaper articles about events that we have witnessed ourselves. There are many ways to make people susceptible to memory modification. For example, memories have been proven to be easiest to “change” if a long time has passed since the event that the actual memories relate to.
It is in this way that the very childhood memories are sometimes completely accidentally fabricated, on the basis of which psychotherapists subsequently draw incorrect conclusions about the aggression and humiliation that patients allegedly underwent in childhood, and doctors do not realize that their actions contribute to the formation of these very memories.
Elizabeth Loftuss, together with students of her faculty, conducted an experiment in which 24 people, aged 18 to 53, took part. The purpose of the experiment was to confirm the mechanism of the appearance of false memory by "injecting" the subjects with false childhood memories of how they got lost in the store at the age of five. Moreover, the relatives of the subjects interviewed in advance confirmed that nothing similar had happened to the participants in the experiment. The subjects were told that the purpose of the experiment was to determine which events from their distant childhood they can recall based on the memories of their own parents. Each participant in the experiment was given a booklet with four pre-prepared memories of their childhood, of which three were real, and one (about a loss in a store) was false.
After studying the booklet, the participants were asked to immediately rate the clarity of their memories on a special scale. The participants in the experiment were able to recall about 68% of real events in their memory. It was also found that after reading the booklet, 29% of the subjects began to partially or completely “remember” something that had never actually happened to them. Subsequent quizzes confirmed that psychologists' fabricated memories began to appear real to the subjects. In principle, you can tell real memories from fake ones: real memories are clearer and more detailed.
Other researchers have obtained similar results. Students at the University of Washington were asked to recall any childhood experiences, which they were then asked to compare with the memories of their parents, among whom was one false memory. About 20% of students "remembered" stories involving a false, fabricated memory during the second interview. Moreover, over the course of several quizzes, the "memories" became more and more detailed.
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External interventions that can “manipulate” childhood memories help psychologists understand the process of false memories. A natural question arises whether it is possible to practically apply these studies in real life, for example, in situations of interrogation of suspects or during a psychotherapeutic session. It can be argued that any assumption about the situation, expressed in the form of "falsification" of facts, can affect the establishment of a false memory. For example, a request by an investigator or a psychotherapist to imagine himself in any situation can trigger the mechanism of "remembering" something that did not actually exist.
In general, a rich imagination plays a big role in the formation of false memory and slips us "memories", which over time become overgrown with details and become indistinguishable from reality. Imagination makes an event, such as a broken window in the principal's office, look "familiar," and this sense of recognition is mistaken for a childhood memory.
The direct influence of strangers can be a powerful technique for introducing false memories into the mind. The simple accusation of a completely innocent person of any crime or misdemeanor can cause him to make a false confession. This effect was demonstrated in a study by Saul M. Kassin, who studied the reaction of subjects to false accusations of damaging a computer by pressing an incorrect keyboard shortcut. Innocent (and unsuspecting) participants in the experiment initially vehemently denied their guilt, but after their "friend" (specially instructed researcher) stated that he "saw" how the computer was damaged, many subjects gave up and "admitted" their “Guilt,” “remembering” the details and details of how they did it.
This study indirectly proves that people who are falsely accused, with some pressure or the presentation of "evidence" that they were "seen", can "remember" their crime, come up with details that would support the feeling of guilt and admit guilt for something that never did not.
So, let's summarize the intermediate results of what is the mechanism for the formation of false memories. First, the subjects who subsequently formed a false memory were put under certain pressure from psychologists and researchers. Second, the construction of false memories is easiest when the events referred to in the memory are removed in time. And, finally, for the formation of a false memory, the subject should have no doubt that the false memory is real.
Thus, taking into account all of the above factors, it can be argued that the best false memory formation occurs during experiments, on the therapist's couch or during an unremarkable day. False memories begin to form at the junction of real memories and assumptions received from people from the outside, and during the process of forming a false memory, a person can easily forget the source of information.
A more accurate mechanism for constructing false memories is subject to further careful study, psychologists clarify.
