You Are Not So Smart 043 - Misremembering - Julia Shaw and Dan Simons
20 snips
Feb 11, 2015 
Julia Shaw, a forensic psychology lecturer specializing in false memories, joins Daniel Simons to discuss the fragility and malleability of memory. They delve into how easily memories can be distorted, highlighting real-life examples like the Brian Williams controversy. Shaw shares her experiences implanting false memories in students, leading them to confess to crimes they never committed. The conversation explores the implications of memory manipulation in legal contexts and the surprising impact of social media on our recollections.
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Vivid Memories Aren't Always Accurate
- Daniel Simons and David McRaney explain vivid memories can be wrong because people conflate what happened to others with what happened to them.
- Repeated retelling can progressively distort memory into confident but false recollections.
No Memory Is Immune To Distortion
- Daniel Simons says there is no bright line separating memories that can be distorted from those that can't.
- All memories are potentially subject to source failures and conflation with others' experiences.
Verify Big Memories With Records
- Check documentary records for important memories when possible to verify accuracy.
- Public figures are easier to fact-check because of archived reports and recordings.
