Vihang Desai
Blog Post 3
Imagery Can Improve Memory and Reduce False Memories
Have you ever been so sure about something that you really remember it happening? For example, have you ever been so sure that you closed all the lights in the house and then only to find out when you come back home that you forgot one light or have you felt that you forgot to close something or shut something off and only to go back and find out that the task was completed already? This is what is called False Memory in cognitive psychology. This actually occurs quite often in human beings and is something that can be reduced, but can never be eliminated. This article is about a way to reduce false memories by using imagery as a technique to remember the correct items a person is trying to recall.
Merrin Oliver, lead author of this study and a Ph.D. student in the educational psychology program at the College of Education & Human Development at Georgia State, conducted a study that proves that we can improve our memory through imagery. Oliver said, “Creating images improved participants’ memories and helped them commit fewer errors, regardless of what kind of list we gave them” (Oliver, et. al., 2016). This would make it seem like the best way for most people to remember something would be to have a visual memory of something that can cue you to the original memory. This type of technique has been proven to work in some studies in regards to helping in retrieval of memories. However, he also said that we are not good judges of knowing the source of our memories, so we mistakenly recollect things that are similar to the situation and falsely remember something (Oliver, et. al., 2016). He also goes on to say that even though imagery does help in decreasing false memory that this effect only occurs during immediate recall and it does not seem to help when there is a delayed recognition test. He suggests that more detailed imagery instructions are needed so that it can help filter out false memories during a recognition test (Oliver, et. al., 2016).
Oliver says, “People should create detailed images with unique characteristics to help avoid the endorsement of false memories on recognition-based tests like true/false or multiple-choice assessments, where you are tempted by lures and possible false memories” (Oliver, et. al., 2016). I think imagery can help us with improving our memory, however we have to be careful in assuming that our memory is completely accurate. We have to remember that our memories are not like a photograph or video that captures exactly what we see. It has moving parts that can change as time goes on and our minds go through a reconstructive process when trying to remember something.
I think imagery can be very helpful in avoiding false memories, however I also think other exercises like auditory and touch sensation when used in conjunction with imagery when trying to encode and store something into memory can be very helpful in making sure correct memories are remembered accurately and false memories get actively discarded. When encoding a memory it would be helpful and easier to recall the memory if there was a particular noise or smell or feeling that occurred during the same time. This sense can be used as a trigger cue in order to help you remember the particular memory and can help you avoid creating false memories because a false memory would not have any cue, so you could identify it and discard it. However, I do not think there really is any full proof way of avoiding false memories. The scary thing is that we can try to correct our memories and make sure that that they are correct, but there is no guarantee that our memories are always going to be completely accurate. Below I have put a link to a video from a TED talk by Elizabeth Loftus. Elizabeth is a cognitive psychologist who has extensively studied human memory and its malleability.
False memory is something that is hard to completely avoid, however there are ways to reduce it and help your memory work better. Certain techniques, like mental images and auditory cues, can help in lessening false memories. We can get better at remembering, but I believe that false memories are also a part of what makes us human. Below I have added a comic strip that makes fun of the idea of false memory.
Here is a cartoon strip I found making fun of false memory and how people can try to take advantage of this:
Here is a link to a video of a Tedx Talk that Elizabeth Loftus presented on False Memory:
Sources
Adams, S. (2010, May 12). Dilbert [Cartoon]. Retrieved April 14, 2018, from http://dilbert.com/strip/2010-05-12
Joke about how False Memory can be used to avoid getting reprimanded or to confuse someone.
Loftus, E. (2013, October 16). How memory plays us: Elizabeth Loftus at TEDxOrangeCoast. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMkZWXDulA4.
Oliver, M.C., Bays, R.B., & Zabrucky, K.M. (2016). False memories and the DRM paradigm: effects of imagery, list, and test type. Journal of General Psychology. doi:10.1080/00221309.2015.1110558.
I found your blog on false memories incredibly interesting and relatable. Many times, I have felt that I have not completed a task and when I go back to do it, it had already been done. Every time that happened to me, I felt that my mind was playing tricks on me.
I think its also important to talk about the phenomenon of ‘misinformation effect’ here because it is relevant to the formation of false memories. The misinformation effect is what causes the corruption of the original memory/event due to the post-event information. Studies have shown that “introduction of even relatively subtle information following an event” can drastically change how people remember the information. The misinformation effect can create imprecise memories and can also result in the creation of false memories (Cherry, 2018).
Psychologist Elizabeth Loftus, who you also mentioned in your blog, revealed that questions asked following an event that a person witnessed can directly impact that person’s memory of the event. Loftus explains that it’s the “misleading information” that causes the impairment of the past memory. She also conducted an experiment where a video footage of a traffic accident was shown to the participants. Subsequently, the participants were asked a series of questions. One of the questions, however, was slightly modified which lead to incorrect responses from the participants due to the inaccurate recollection of that memory (Cherry, 2018).
Let’s say that I go to a dinner party and then the next morning my sister comes up to me and says that I drank too much wine, even though I didn’t drink at all. She asks me questions like: “Remember, you kept talking about how Italian wines are so good?” or “Remember how you mentioned that drinking a nice glass of wine after work can help you become calm and relaxed”? All of these are misleading questions which then forms false memories. Therefore, the formation of false memories can be prevented if the person is not exposed to misleading information.
Citation:
Cherry, K. (2018, March 12). The Misinformation Effect and False Memories. Retrieved April 22, 2018, from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-misinformation-effect-2795353