cas: initiative 2004-2005 The Memory Project: An Interdisciplinary Study of Memory and the Construction of Identity and Culture

What's the Matter with Memory? September 8, 2004 Wednesday, 4:00 p.m. Knight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum 600 South Gregory, Urbana University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Elizabeth Loftus Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California, Irvine New studies show the power of imagination and suggestion to make people believe that they have had experiences that they didn't have. People have been led to remember non-existent events from the recent past as well as non-existent events from their childhood. They can be led to falsely believe that they have had familiar experiences, but also rather bizarre or implausible ones (e.g., that they witnessed demonic possession as a child). They can be led to believe that they did things that would have been impossible (e.g., that they shook hands with Bugs Bunny during a trip to Disneyland). They can also be led to falsely believe that they had experiences that would have been highly traumatic had they actually happened. Moreover, false beliefs and memories can have long-range consequences; they can affect later thoughts and behaviors. These findings reveal much about the flimsy curtain that separates true memory from false. Further information from the September 8 presentation by Elizabeth Loftus: Loftus, E.F. (2003) Make-Believe Memories. American Psychologist, 58, 864-873 Loftus, E. F. (2002) Memory Faults and Fixes. Issues in Science & Technology (publication of the National Academies of Science), 18, # 4, pp 41-50. Further readings are available through her website at: http://www.seweb.uci.edu/faculty/loftus/ Elizabeth Loftus was also FOCUS 580 Wednesday, September 8; her archived interview may be heard at: http://www.will.uiuc.edu/am/focus/default.htm