Memories Are Never Fully Accurate
False memories and distortion mechanisms
The formation of memories is connected to the way we understand and perceive time and our position in it. Since it’s proven that our perception of time is inaccurate, researchers have also looked into what else, other than time perception, distorts a memory.
It was found that memories rely on our subjective perception of the events around us and they can be highly distorted based on our emotional state and the way we retrieve them every time (source).
You may have encountered the term “flashbulb memories”, which describes memories that are thought to be highly accurate and are the result of witnessing something highly traumatic. Until recently, it was debated whether such memories are actually accurate and usable in court.
It was found that the memories that are imbued with an intense emotional response when our safety is being threatened are actually rather accurate. However, this does not apply to memories formed under other emotional circumstances, like joy or sadness (source).
Despite those findings, “flashbulb memories” are still not admissible as evidence in court, but that is due to the questioning methods that distort them during retrieval. More specifically, it was found that leading questions and cross-examination questions can distort even the most accurate trauma memories (source).
Since those findings emerged, scientists attempted to find more evidence about what else distorts our memories. The results showed that when we shift our visual perspective during recollection (i.e. remembering something as we saw it through our own eyes, vs. remembering it from an observer’s perspective), the memories get slightly altered. The more we shift our visual perspective, the more intense the distortions (source).
Furthermore, what we pay attention to when a memory is being encoded is also a liability (source). A few days ago, Natalie posted an article in which she proved that our reading time matters, even if we read many stories daily! During our comment exchange, Natalie realized that she had created a false memory.
Initially, she recalled that an article she read didn’t have many pictures. When she checked again though, she realized that the article actually had 10 pictures.
How did the false memory get created?
Based on what we know so far about false memories, we can theorize that since Natalie’s purpose of reading the articles was to write about reading time, she probably focused more on the aspect of reading the words. So, it’s possible that Natalie’s memory of the article was distorted while it was being encoded because of the context in which it occurred.
Another way in which memories get distorted is the way we think of ourselves. When we retrieve a memory that is about something we did that would be considered as socially unacceptable or immoral, we are more likely to distort the memory as we talk about it in order to protect our sense of self in the present (source).
As a result, if we feel that we have progressed and changed for the better, the retrieval of our autobiographical memories will happen in such a way that will highlight our progress and how different we are from the person we used to be. This means that our memory retrieval will be more emotional and it will emphasize the moral aspects of the events.
To conclude, while some memories can be accurate, it’s our retrieval processes that usually distort them. In addition, memories can be distorted while they are being formed depending on what we choose to pay attention to, and what our emotional state is at the time of the encoding.
As a concluding point or take-away message, I’d like to stress that regardless of the accuracy of a memory, the emotions associated with it are still true and valid for a person. Therefore, even if someone has re-shaped their memories because of difficult emotions or shame, this does not make them a bad person. It’s just the way the person has chosen to protect their sense of self.
Also, when someone doesn’t remember an event exactly like the way you remember it, consider how that person’s emotional state or life experiences have affected the encoding of the memory before accusing them of trying to “gaslight” you.
Finally, when you ask someone to talk to you about a memory, the way you phrase your questions can affect the memory’s retrieval, especially if you ask the person to switch their visual perception while they’re talking.
Keeping that in mind can possibly help you in asking someone to narrate an event from their life in a more neutral (and thus, more accurate) way without confusing them. Unless you want to confuse them, in which case I take no responsibility for the way you’ll use the information presented in this article!