False Memories: Causes & Examples of Memory Distortion

What Are False Memories?

False memories are false beliefs a person holds about a past event.² In some cases, a person may remember an event that did not happen. Other times, they may experience memory distortion, believing an event happened differently than what transpired in reality.

What Causes False Memories?

False memories can occur for many reasons but typically involve a negative emotional state.³ Some individuals may be more prone to suggestibility, meaning what others say can shape their memories of an event. Others may expect something to happen a certain way, thus affecting their perception of the outcome. Misleading information can also lead to false memories.

Misinformation

The misinformation effect describes instances where misleading information distorts our memories.⁴ In some cases, false or misleading information can shape memories of an event. Someone may take what they read or hear and apply this information to their perception the event. Identifying a specific source for misinformation is difficult, as multiple sources can contribute to false memories.

Suggestion

Depending on their suggestibility, a person may unconsciously create false memories based on biases from others. For example, someone can convince another person that an event happened in a particular way.⁵ This can be illustrated in courtroom cross-examinations in which lawyers try to confuse witnesses about the accuracy of their memories.

Social Influences

Social influences may also play a role in the development of false memories. Someone may go along with a narrative others provide them to avoid consequences, rejection, or punishment. Other times, peer pressure can lead to distorted memories as individuals adhere to their peers’ recounting of an incident.

Past Trauma

The brain may mitigate traumatic experiences and their effects through false memories. A person may remember the event differently, dissociate, or repress the memories of the event.

Mood Disorders

Those experiencing mood disorders, such as depression or anxiety, are more likely to create false memories. Depression can lead to impaired memory and a tendency to focus on negative content, while anxiety often increases memories of negative events.^6,7

Risks & Factors Contributing to False Memories

While everyone may have some distorted memories of past events, certain individuals may be more susceptible to false memories. These include those with trauma histories or mental health conditions. Aging individuals may also be at a higher risk.

Risk factors associated with false memories include:

Being an Eye Witness

While many believe eyewitnesses are the most reliable sources for information about an event, the opposite may be true. Eyewitnesses are normal people, and everyone experiences some level of memory distortion. These individuals are especially susceptible to cognitive bias, leading questions, and sharing information with others who were present at the event. In turn, they may misremember or distort memories.

Surviving Trauma

People with a history of trauma or repressed childhood trauma are more likely to have false memories. When a person is exposed to a traumatic event, the brain may have difficulty making sense of or processing the experience.⁸ Therefore, a person may have difficulty organizing memories.

Having a History of Mental Health Issues

Mental disorders and false memories are connected in many ways.^6,7 People who suffer from depression or chronic stress may be more likely to produce false memories. Not surprisingly, their memories are often related to negative events rather than positive ones. Furthermore, anxiety disorders generate cortisol that overwhelms the brain. These increased levels coupled with anxiety-related worrying overtaxes the brain, sometimes leading to false memories.

Other disorders can contribute to memory issues. For example, bipolar disorder can contribute to memory loss, as depressive states can negatively affect memory. During manic episodes, thoughts race so fast that individuals cannot form accurate memories.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

In cases of OCD, memory recall can be unreliable. Individuals with false memory OCD may not accurately remember events and often obsess about what did or did not happen. Others may doubt their own memories, thus exacerbating the obsessive worries.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

ADHD is a condition that affects the brain by disrupting attention, executive functioning, verbal memory, and working memory. The brain has trouble focusing, leading to compromised long-term memory and a greater likelihood of false memories.⁹

Natural Aging

As people age, their memories naturally decline. While the amount of knowledge remembered shrinks with age and memories become less reliable, memory is also disrupted through age-related changes in the brain. Individuals remember less and are more likely to create false memories.

Common False Memory Examples

False memories are not uncommon. The human brain can be highly suggestible and likes to fill in gaps with bits and pieces of information about an event. In most instances, false memories do not create a significant concern. Many people never realize these memories are off the mark. In other cases, false memories can lead to serious consequences.

Examples of creating false memories include:

• Courtroom testimonies: In courtrooms, eyewitness testimony is often a deciding factor in determining innocence or guilt. Memory of an event may be corrupted by personal cognitive biases or leading questions from attorneys. Memories may shift during pre-trial testimony or questioning. People do not knowingly remember things erroneously and may be convinced their recounting of an event is truthful.
• Childhood recollections: Childhood memories are frequently a little fuzzier than more recent events. Childhood memories may be susceptible to suggestion and the desire to remember details the brain did not store.
• Therapy sessions: In some therapeutic settings, clinicians may ask clients about prior abuse or victimization. While clients may have no conscious memories of these experiences, they may begin wondering such events occurred, They may believe these incidents cause their current distress. Clinicians may use hypnosis or guided imagery to encourage these clients to recall details of events to examine whether these events were real or imagined.

Possible Impacts of False Memories

False memories can significantly impact the individual and others involved in the event. If the false memory centers around an experience of past abuse, this can lead to personal distress, unsubstantiated accusations, and broken relationships with the alleged perpetrator.

False memories can also lead to severe consequences in legal settings. For instance, an eyewitness may give testimony based on false memories under oath in the courtroom, resulting in an incorrect conviction. Decisions constructed on distorted memories may also result that in unfair or unbalanced outcomes. These effects underscore the importance of validating memory.

What Is False Memory Syndrome?

False memory syndrome is a specific condition that occurs when a person remembers an event that did not happen. However, this syndrome remains controversial. In some cases, repressed memories can resurface in adulthood but are actually fictitious.

The human brain is complex, and research shows memory is highly suggestible. However, other evidence suggests people repress memories of traumatic and abusive events through dissociation. Recovered-memory therapy uses techniques like past life regression, hypnosis, and guided meditation to help patients recover memories. More scientific data is needed to validate the accuracy of recovered memories.

During therapy, clients may experience recollections of events from the past. However, ascertaining if the memory is fact-based or false is difficult. External verification is needed, such as photographs or narratives, to validate the accuracy of the memory.

How to Recognize False Memories

Determining whether a memory is true or false can be challenging. The mind and memory are affected by many external factors, sometimes resulting in confusion over the veracity of a memory. However, conferring with others who experienced or saw the event can help provide validation about distorted memories. Referring to photographs or other accounts of an event can also be beneficial. You can also engage in critical thinking to see if the memory feels “real” or concrete.

Therapy for False Memories

Consider seeking professional support if a memory causes psychological distress that interferes your life. Therapists can use various techniques to help a person assess their memories as true or false. They can also assist you in coping with past abuse or trauma. Therapy provides an environment where you can explore memories, develop a plan to seek corroborating evidence, and move forward.

Finding the right therapist may start by seeking referrals from friends, family, or your physician. Another helpful resource is an online therapist directory. Therapists include their specializations in these directories and information about their location, their modalities, and information about cost and insurance coverage.

Therapy options for false memories may include:

• Exposure and response prevention therapy: In cases of false memory OCD, exposure and response prevention therapy can help a person accept that an event may have occurred and move forward.
• Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT): CBT can provide a framework for determining if a memory is true. Clients learn to manage the thoughts and symptoms associated with an event.
• Narrative therapy: Narrative therapy provides a means of expressing the false memory and crafting a new replacement narrative.