Reconstructive Memory and Distortions

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Reconstructive Memory and Distortions

• PSY 421 Fall 2004

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Overview

• Memory as Reconstruction
• Eyewitness Memory Effects
• Illusory or False Memories
• Recovered Memories

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Memory as Reconstruction

• When we remember, we are often putting pieces of
  information together
• Sometimes those pieces are accurately remembered,
  and sometimes not
• Misremembering
• Omission failure to bring something to mind
  transience, absentmindedness, blocking
• Commission remembering unwanted or inaccurate
  information misattribution, suggestibility,
  bias, persistence

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Eyewitness Memory - Encoding

• Factors that influence encoding
• Perceptual viewing conditions
• Emotion and stress
• Cross-racial identification interaction between
  race of the observer and race of the observed
• Unconscious Transference familiarity effect
  (misattribution)
• Misinformation Effect misleading information
  presented after event is attributed to the event
  (misattribution, suggestibility, retroactive
  interference)

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Misinformation
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Eyewitness Memory - Retrieval

• Factors that influence encoding
• Lineups
• Hypnosis
• Cognitive Interview

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Illusory or False Memory
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Recovered Memories