Nonbelieved Memories

Abstract

This is the first empirical study of vivid autobiographical memories for events that people no longer believe happened to them. Until now, this phenomenon has been the object of relatively rare, albeit intriguing, anecdotes, such as Jean Piaget's description of his vivid memory of an attempted abduction that never happened. The results of our study show that nonbelieved memories are much more common than is expected. Approximately 20% of our initial sample reported having at least one nonbelieved autobiographical memory. Participants' ratings indicate that nonbelieved memories share most recollective qualities of believed memories, but are characterized by more negative emotions. The results have important implications for the way autobiographical memory is conceptualized and for the false-memory debate.

Adult Recollections of Childhood Memories: What Details can be Recalled?

“…But even if they did our point is that there will always be a degree of inference and construction that individuals 22 cannot be aware of and cannot introspect upon. Thus, we can be certain that a percentage of the childhood memories collected in the present study are false (Mazzoni, et al, 2010) and, if anything, even more of the details, some from otherwise true memories, will be false too, even though they may be true of the time being remembered, i.e. that one had a school uniform and usually wore it when at school.…”

“…Also these childhood memories can be accompanied by feelings of uncertainty/doubt that they are in fact memories and, occasionally there are aspects of the content of the memories -memory details -or other external evidence that clearly show them to be false (Mazzoni, Scoboria, & Harvey 2010). Even in the later case, however, the memories are experienced as memories, i.e.…”

Creating Memories for False Autobiographical Events in Childhood: A Systematic Review

“…Such information is important to evaluate the plausibility of specific recollective experiences. Just as it is possible to know or believe something occurred without recollection, it is possible to have recollection without belief: An example is when a recollective experience such as a visual image is thought to be inaccurate or completely false (Mazzoni, Scoboria, & Harvey, 2010; Scoboria et al, 2014). Observations of such non‐believed recollective experiences have featured from the start in studies of false memory implantation (Hyman, Husband, & Billings, 1995).…”

“…Thus, while to outside observers, there may appear to be a ‘memory’ based on the language used, subjectively the individual may believe the event occurred without having an accompanying recollective experience (Ost, Granhag, Udell, & Roos af Hjelmsäter, 2008; Otgaar, Scoboria, & Smeets, 2013). Even if there is a recollective experience, this may not be believed (Mazzoni et al, 2010; Scoboria et al, 2014). …”

On the persuadability of memory: Is changing people's memories no more than changing their minds?

“…Participants in a large proportion of memory distortion studies have been provided with false suggestions about past events, but rarely have they been encouraged to actively seek out and aggregate 'evidence' to support or refute those suggestions as they might in 'real-life' (Wade & Garry, 2005). A small but growing evidence-base concerns people's strategic use of external information sources to systematically validate and verify the occurrence of past events (Kemp, Burt, & Sheen, 2003;Mazzoni et al, 2010;Nash & Takarangi, 2011;Ross, 1997;Wade & Garry, 2005;Wade et al, in press). Yet it is noteworthy how little is still known about the role of information-seeking in the development or prevention of false memories.…”