<p><strong>A false memory refers to a distorted recall of an event.</strong> </p>
<p>They can be completely unreal. In some cases, false memories may comprise aspects of the fact that have been distorted by interfering information or other memory distortions.</p>

False memories

<p>Common elements of false memory include:</p>
<ul>
<li>Mental experiences that people think are authentic and exact representations of past events.</li>
<li>Meaningless specifics (thinking you hung your keys near the door when you got home) to much more meaningful and serious ones (thinking you can provide details related to a crime, because you think you saw someone at the scene.)</li>
<li>False memory is not the same thing as the common memory errors. A false memory is not just a simple error, because it relates to a level of confidence in the legitimacy of the memory.</li>
</ul>

Characteristics of a false memory

<ul>
<li>A false memory can be influenced by aspects like misinformation and misattribution of the original source of the information.</li>
<li>Existing knowledge and other memories can also interfere with the creation and development of a new memory, causing the recollection of an event to be mistaken or entirely false.</li>
<li>It is also possible to induce false memories through suggestion.</li>
</ul>

False memories: what causes them

<figure><img src="https://www.verywellmind.com/thmb/j_ViFF789Li6F0ZvAhliQrgDxBo=/500x350/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/false-memory-56a792b15f9b58b7d0ebceee.jpg" srcset="https://www.verywellmind.com/thmb/TfYD5wWxKK0B9OZwJuVh5lUpyxg=/300x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/false-memory-56a792b15f9b58b7d0ebceee.jpg 300w, https://www.verywellmind.com/thmb/lvWy0GcB-CRavlevAJEW2WDulHs=/417x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/false-memory-56a792b15f9b58b7d0ebceee.jpg 417w, https://www.verywellmind.com/thmb/YyfaeL8H6fTtC6zvJvhnJyyIUN8=/534x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/false-memory-56a792b15f9b58b7d0ebceee.jpg 534w, https://www.verywellmind.com/thmb/U4lkUiaeCEvIE-Iq1pOEMBESMsE=/768x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/false-memory-56a792b15f9b58b7d0ebceee.jpg 768w" alt="Older couple looking through photo albums" width="721" height="481"><figcaption dir="auto">Image Source / Getty Images</figcaption></figure><div data-tracking-container="true"><button data-top=".toc" href="#"><span>Back To Top</span></button></div><p dir="ltr">
A false memory is a <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/confabulation-definition-examples-and-treatments-4177450" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" data-ordinal="1" dir="ltr">fabricated or distorted recollection</a> 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.
</p><h3>
Memory Mistakes Are Quite Common</h3><p dir="ltr">People often think of <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-memory-2795006" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" data-ordinal="1" dir="ltr">memory</a> as something like a video recorder, accurately documenting and storing everything that happens with perfect accuracy and clarity. In reality, memory is very prone to fallacy. People can feel completely confident that their memory is accurate, but this confidence is no guarantee that a particular memory is correct.</p><p>
Examples of this phenomenon can range from the fairly mundane, such as incorrectly recalling that you locked the front door, to the much more serious, such as falsely remembering details of an accident you witnessed.
</p><p>
Learn more about how psychologists define false memories, how these memories form, and the impact that such memories can have.
</p><h2 dir="ltr"> <span dir="ltr"> Definitions of False Memory </span> </h2><p>
How do psychologists define false memory? How do they distinguish it from other forms of memory fallibility? Some common elements of false memory include:
</p><UL><LI>Mental experiences that people believe are accurate representations of past events</LI><LI>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)</LI></UL><p>
False memory differs from simple memory errors. While we are all prone to memory fallibility false memory is more than a simple mistake; it involves a level of certitude in the validity of the memory.
</p><p>
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.
</p><h2 dir="ltr"> <span dir="ltr"> What Causes False Memory? </span> </h2><p dir="ltr">
So why do false memories happen? <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/how-do-false-memories-form-2795349" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" data-ordinal="1" dir="ltr">Factors that can influence false memory</a> include <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-misinformation-effect-2795353" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" data-ordinal="2" dir="ltr">misinformation</a> 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.
</p><h3 dir="ltr"> <span dir="ltr"> The Power of Suggestion </span> </h3><p dir="ltr">
Memory researcher <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/elizabeth-loftus-biography-2795496" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" data-ordinal="1" dir="ltr">Elizabeth Loftus</a> has 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.
</p><p>
Over time, memories become distorted and begin to change. In some cases, the original memory may be changed in order to incorporate new information or experiences.
</p><h2 dir="ltr"> <span dir="ltr"> The Potential Impact of False Memories </span> </h2><p dir="ltr">
While we are all familiar with the fallibility of memory (who <em dir="ltr">hasn't</em> forgotten an important bit of information), many people do not realize just how common false memory really is. People are remarkably susceptible to suggestion, which can create memories of events and things that didn't really happen to us.
</p><p>Most of the time these false memories are fairly inconsequential - a memory that you brought the keys in the house and hung them up in the kitchen, when in reality you left them out in the car, for example.</p><p dir="ltr">
In other instances, <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/the-consequences-of-false-memories-2795350" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="internalLink" data-ordinal="1" dir="ltr">false memories can have serious implications</a>. Researchers have found that false memories are one of the leading causes of false convictions, usually through the false identification of a suspect or false recollections during police interrogations.
</p><h2 dir="ltr"> <span dir="ltr"> Who Is Affected by False Memories? </span> </h2><p>
Loftus's groundbreaking research has shown just how easily and readily false memories can form.
</p><p dir="ltr">
In one study, <a href="https://misuse.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/error/abuse.shtml" data-component="link" data-source="inlineLink" data-type="externalLink" data-ordinal="1" rel="noopener" dir="ltr">participants watched video of an automobile accident</a> and were then asked some questions about what they saw in the film. Some participants were asked 'How fast were the cars going when they smashed into each other?' while others were asked the same question but the words 'smashed into' were replaced with 'hit.'
</p><p>
When the participants were given a memory test pertaining to the accident a week later, those who had been asked the 'smashed into' question were more likely to have a false memory of seeing broken glass in the film.
</p><h3 dir="ltr"> <span dir="ltr"> The Influence of Time </span> </h3><p>
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.
</p><p>
If interviewed immediately after an event, when the details are still vivid, people are less likely to be influenced by misinformation. If, however, an interview is delayed for a period of time, people are more likely to be affected by potential false information.
</p><h2 dir="ltr"> <span dir="ltr"> A Word From Verywell </span> </h2><p>
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.
</p><div>Was this page helpful?</div><div data-click-tracked="true"><span>
Article Sources</span></div>

False memories are distorted or even fabricated recollections of events. Learn more about how your brain makes up memories and the impact they have.

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

health

Health

problemsolving

Problem Solving

scienceandnature

Science & Nature

<p>A false memory is a <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/confabulation-definition-examples-and-treatments-4177450">fabricated or distorted recollection </a>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. </p>

<p>People often think of <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-memory-2795006">memory </a>as something like a video recorder, accurately documenting and storing everything that happens with perfect accuracy and clarity. In reality, memory is very prone to fallacy. People can feel completely confident that their memory is accurate, but this confidence is no guarantee that a particular memory is correct. </p>

<p>Examples of this phenomenon can range from the fairly mundane, such as incorrectly recalling that you locked the front door, to the much more serious, such as falsely remembering details of an accident you witnessed. </p>

<p>Learn more about how psychologists define false memories, how these memories form, and the impact that such memories can have. </p>

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

<ul><li>Mental experiences that people believe are accurate representations of past events </li><li>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) </li> </ul>

<p>False memory differs from simple memory errors. While we are all prone to memory fallibility false memory is more than a simple mistake; it involves a level of certitude in the validity of the memory. </p>

<p>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. </p>

<p>So why do false memories happen? <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/how-do-false-memories-form-2795349">Factors that can influence false memory </a>include <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-misinformation-effect-2795353">misinformation </a>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. </p>

<p>Memory researcher <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/elizabeth-loftus-biography-2795496">Elizabeth Loftus </a>has 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. </p>

<p>Over time, memories become distorted and begin to change. In some cases, the original memory may be changed in order to incorporate new information or experiences. </p>

<p>While we are all familiar with the fallibility of memory (who <em>hasn't </em>forgotten an important bit of information), many people do not realize just how common false memory really is. People are remarkably susceptible to suggestion, which can create memories of events and things that didn't really happen to us. </p>

<p>Most of the time these false memories are fairly inconsequential - a memory that you brought the keys in the house and hung them up in the kitchen, when in reality you left them out in the car, for example. </p>

<p>In other instances, <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/the-consequences-of-false-memories-2795350">false memories can have serious implications </a>. Researchers have found that false memories are one of the leading causes of false convictions, usually through the false identification of a suspect or false recollections during police interrogations. </p>

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

<p>In one study, <a href="https://misuse.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/error/abuse.shtml">participants watched video of an automobile accident </a>and were then asked some questions about what they saw in the film. Some participants were asked 'How fast were the cars going when they smashed into each other?' while others were asked the same question but the words 'smashed into' were replaced with 'hit.' </p>

<p>When the participants were given a memory test pertaining to the accident a week later, those who had been asked the 'smashed into' question were more likely to have a false memory of seeing broken glass in the film. </p>

<p>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. </p>

<p>If interviewed immediately after an event, when the details are still vivid, people are less likely to be influenced by misinformation. If, however, an interview is delayed for a period of time, people are more likely to be affected by potential false information. </p>

<p>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. </p>

How Your Brain Can Create False Memories

False memories

Characteristics of a false memory

False memories: what causes them

CURATED BY

Related collections

More like this