The researchers then attempted to undo the false memories by using two strategies. By the third session, most believed the false events had happened and - similar to previous research - about 40 per cent had developed actual false memories of them.
The participants were then asked to recall each event in multiple interview sessions. For example getting lost, running away or being involved in a car accident.Īlong with two true events, which had actually happened, participants were persuaded by their parents that all four events were part of their autobiographical memory.
The researchers recruited 52 participants for a study on 'childhood memories' and with the help of parents, they implanted two false negative memories that definitely didn't happen, but were plausible. "In this study, we made an important step in this direction by identifying interview techniques that can empower people to retract their false memories." In police interrogations or legal proceedings, for instance, it may lead to false confessions or false allegations, and it would be highly desirable, therefore, to reduce the risk of false memories in such settings. Studying how memories are created, identified and reversed could be a game changer in police and legal settings, where false memories given as evidence in a courtroom can lead to wrongful convictions.Īccording to Dr Hartmut Blank, co-author of the research from the University of Portsmouth's Department of Psychology, "believing, or even remembering something that never happened may have severe consequences. However, this is the first time research has shown that false memories of autobiographical events can be undone.
There is plenty of psychological research which shows that memories are often reconstructed and therefore fallible and malleable. It is published by researchers from the University of Portsmouth, UK, and the Universities of Hagen and Mainz, Germany. The study highlights - for the first time - techniques that can correct false recollections without damaging true memories.