Reference:
Opening Skinner's Box
Lauren Slater
2004 W. W. Norton & Company
Summary:
Elizabeth Loftus tests the accuracy of memory. She finds that, with a minimal amount of suggestion, it is possible to create vivid, detailed, and entirely false memories in a person. She was able to 'implant' false memories of being lost in a shopping mall as a child in approximately 25% of research participants.
Discussion:
Nothing I haven't heard before, but still a very interesting subject. I have often been told that I have a good memory, but I still often question my recollection of events. In the past few years, I've had multiple occasions where someone would tell a story and I would find my recollection to be different. I don't know how many cases were a result of embellishment or purposeful alteration of the story, but in more that a few cases the storyteller really believed that events happened the way they describes. I usually am able to corrobarate my recollection with others, so assuming I wasn't influencing their memories at all, it would seem that I have a better than average memory. On the other hand, I'm a lousy storyteller, hate exaggerating, and will typically admit if I'm not 100% sure of something. This makes me wonder if people who are better storytellers are more apt to remembering something incorrectly.
P.S. I have my own "lost in the mall" story. When I was young, my family went to some kind of fair. One of the attractions was a large group of hot air balloons. Apparently at some point my parents were watching them, and I wandered off. Fortunately, they found me before too long. Now, I know that this happened and I've seen pictures of the event. Despite this, I have absolutely no recollection of such an event happening. I guess I'm part of the 75%.
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