Memory Lapse
A recent survey reveals that most people harbor many mistaken beliefs about memory.
Amnesia People suffering from amnesia typically cannot recall their own name or identity. This fallacy can be excused because most respondents do not have first-hand knowledge of amnesia.
Eye-witness testimony Many agree human memory works like a video camera, accurately recording the events we see and hear so that we can review them later. Memory is a fabrication, a reconstruction, not a recording. Our minds are very selective about what we remember, and they have to be. Much of what we experience will be comparably useless in the future and is candidly best forgotten.
Memory can be distorted by things that happen later. Experiences are replayed, memories become reconsolidated, integrated with existing information in the brain. If jurors literally believe that memory works like a video camera, they may rely too heavily on eyewitness testimony.
Hypnosis About half of respondents believe that hypnosis is useful in helping witnesses accurately recall details of a crime. Here the courts are ahead of the general public, because courts already treat hypnosis-based recollections as untrustworthy.
Memory is permanent Nearly half of the general public believe this to be true, something the experts know is false.
Clearly, everyone has forgotten all sorts of facts, lost their house key, and misplaced their cell phone, how could almost half of the public believe memory is permanent?
This suggests memories are permanently stored in the brain, but recalling them can sometimes be a problem.
This experience shows that memories are reconstructed, fragments of experiences are not memories at all. Bits of information, even if permanently stored in the brain, would be as incoherent as a movie filmstrip sliced to bits. Memories must be placed in context and in sequence to make any sense, we can be so selective with our memories.
Psychology Today
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