False Memories

假记忆是一个制造或扭曲的回忆of an event. Such memories may be entirely false and imaginary. In other cases, they may contain elements of fact that have been distorted by interfering information or other memory distortions.

这种现象的例子可以从相当平凡的范围内，例如错误地回顾你锁定前门，更严重，例如错误地记住你目睹的事故的细节。

了解有关心理学家如何定义虚假记忆的更多信息，这些记忆方式以及这些记忆可以拥有的影响。

虚假记忆的定义

How do psychologists define false memory? How do they distinguish it from other forms of memory fallibility? Some common elements of false memory include:

• 人们认为的心理经历是过去事件的准确陈述
• Trivial details (believing you put your keys on the table when you got home) to much more serious (believing you saw someone at the scene of a crime)

虚假内存与简单的内存错误不同。虽然我们都容易出现恶心虚假记忆不仅仅是一个简单的错误;它涉及内存有效性的级别。

Everyone experiences memory failures from time to time, false memories are unique in that they represent a distinct recollection of something that did not actually happen. It is not about forgetting or mixing up details of things that we experienced; it is about remembering things that we never experienced in the first place.

是什么导致错误的记忆？

那么为什么错误的记忆发生？可能影响虚假记忆的因素包括误传and misattribution of the original source of the information. Existing knowledge and other memories can also interfere with the formation of a new memory, causing the recollection of an event to be mistaken or entirely false.

The Power of Suggestion

Memory researcherElizabeth Loftushas demonstrated through her research that it is possible to induce false memories through suggestion. She has also shown that these memories can become stronger and more vivid as time goes on.

随着时间的推移，记忆变得扭曲并开始改变。在一些情况下，可以改变原始存储器以结合新的信息或经验。

虚假记忆的潜在影响

While we are all familiar with the fallibility of memory (whohasn't忘记了一个重要的信息），很多人都没有意识到常见的错误记忆真的是多么的。人们非常容易受到建议的影响，这可能会产生对我们并不真正发生的事物的记忆。

在其他情况下，虚假的记忆可能会产生严重影响。研究人员发现虚假记忆是虚假信念的主要原因之一，通常通过警察审讯期间的嫌疑人或错误回忆的错误识别。

Who Is Affected by False Memories?

Loftus's groundbreaking research has shown just how easily and readily false memories can form.

In one study,participants watched video of an automobile accident然后询问一些关于他们在电影中看到的问题的问题。有些参与者被问到'汽车互相撞击时的车辆有多快？虽然其他人被问到同样的问题，但“粉碎进入”的话被“击中”所取代。

当参与者在一周后获得与事故有关的记忆试验时，那些被要求的人被要求“被击落成”问题更有可能在电影中看到碎玻璃的虚假记忆。

The Influence of Time

Loftus has suggested that false memories form more readily when enough time has passed that the original memory has faded. In eyewitness testimony, for example, the length of time between the incident and being interviewed about the event plays a role in how suggestible people are to false memory.

如果在活动后立即采访，当细节仍然生动时，人们不太可能受到误导的影响。但是，如果采访延迟了一段时间，人们更有可能受到潜在虚假信息的影响。

A Word From Verywell

While it might be difficult for many people to believe, everyone has false memories. Our memories are generally not as reliable as we think and false memories can form quite easily, even among people who typically have very good memories.