Are observer memories (accurate) memories? Insights from experimental philosophy

The Role of Memory Science in the Philosophy of Memory

“…Dranseika (2020) has spearheaded an experimental philosophy approach to memory. These preliminary results are interesting—showing, for example, that suspicion about observer memories (episodic memories represented from an external perspective) amongst philosophers aligns with the intuitions of laypeople, who view field memories as more genuine (Dranseika et al., 2021). They serve as an intriguing illustration of how much work could be done on this topic (Michaelian et al., 2021).…”

Experimental philosophy of memory

“…Surprisingly, then, it may be that neither alethism nor authenticism is right with respect to the folk concept of memory. Dranseika, McCarroll, and Michaelian (2021) provide evidence that the folk concept of memory does not preclude observer memory. Study participants were willing to agree that visualizations of past events from an observer perspective are instances of remembering.…”

Constructing a Wider View on Memory

“…A crucial question in these discussions on the role of perspective concerns its contribution to the veracity of memories. Recently, Chris McCarroll (Dranseika et al 2021;McCarroll 2018) developed a remembering-from-the-outside account of memory that argues observer memories can be as genuine as field memories. Remembering-from-the-outside positions itself as an alternative to standard preservationist and simulationist accounts.…”

“…In this case, the football player might remember the past experience as an onlooker from the sidelines, seeing her own body move on the field and kicking the ball.The distinction between field and observer memories is sometimes motivated by an analogy with imagination, where one can distinguish imagining-from-the-inside -"Zeno imagines swimming in the rough ocean" -and imagining-from-the-outside -"Zeno imagines himself swimming in the rough ocean," e.g., by looking down on the sea from a rock (for review, see Liefke and Werning 2021; Vendler 1982). The analogy is probably largely due to an imagistic understanding of remembering, i.e., the idea that the content of a memory is a mental image.This received view on memory perspective has recently met with critique from both psychologists and philosophers (e.g., Dranseika, McCarroll, and Michaelian 2021;McCarroll 2018;Radvansky and Svob 2019;St. Jacques 2019).…”

“…This received view on memory perspective has recently met with critique from both psychologists and philosophers (e.g., Dranseika, McCarroll, and Michaelian 2021;McCarroll 2018;Radvansky and Svob 2019;St. Jacques 2019).…”