Psychology and Law
2017. Vol. 7, no. 1, 182–192
doi:10.17759/psylaw.2017070115
ISSN: 2222-5196 (online)
The power of imagination / The weakness of dating: on two origins of autobiographical memory distortion
Abstract
The article focuses on issues of autobiographical memory malleability which are of high relevance to forensic practice. Taking into account both single case report and mass studies we revealed that time is the weakest aspect of autobiographical recollection. Namely, dating of past event and ordering of event components are prone to memory distortion to the maximum extent. Paradoxically, it coincides with high confidence in accuracy of event recalled. Than we shifted to the most discussed in the relevant literature mechanism of memory transformation i.e. imagination inflation. This mechanism consists of mistaking just imagined event for a real one. We also noted that high subjective probability of imagined event and reliable source of misinformation make significant impact into memory transformation.
General Information
Keywords: constructiveness of cognition, autobiographical memory, subjective confidence, autobiographical memory’s malleability.
Journal rubric: Forensic and Clinical Psychology in Legal Context
Article type: scientific article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17759/psylaw.2017070115
For citation: Nurkova V.V., Vasilenko D. The power of imagination / The weakness of dating: on two origins of autobiographical memory distortion [Elektronnyi resurs]. Psikhologiya i pravo = Psychology and Law, 2017. Vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 182–192. DOI: 10.17759/psylaw.2017070115. (In Russ., аbstr. in Engl.)
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