Oct 27, 2022 07:00:00

What are the 'seven sins of memory' related to false memories? Why shouldn't a confession be used as evidence?

There must be many people who have experienced difficulty in recalling memories that they should have remembered, or in which their own memories differ from those of the people around them. Shane O'Mara, a neurologist at Trinity College, University of Dublin, explains the problem of human memory being transformed and the pros and cons of adopting

confessions , which are often called the ``King of Evidence'', in criminal investigations. doing.

Sins of Memory - Brain Pizza by Shane O'Mara
https://brainpizza.substack.com/p/sins-of-memory

Memory problems, which O'Mara calls the 'seven sins of memory,' are based on Harvard psychologist Daniel Schacter's book The Seven Sins of Memory . : Seven Mysteries of Memory and the Brain) ” is the origin.

Why can't I remember 'that': Seven mysteries of memory and brain | Daniel L. Schacter, Akiko Kasugai | Book |

Based on the taxonomy proposed by Mr. Schacter in his book, Mr. O'Mara summarized the problems related to memory into the following seven.

◆ 1: Transience (transient)
'Transient' means that the memory fades. For example, memory fades over time, just like it's hard to remember all the names of your classmates when you were seven years old.

◆ 2: Blocking
'Blocking' occurs when one memory interferes with another, and when you bump into someone you often meet at a nearby store, etc., in an unexpected place, that person's name suddenly does not come out. etc. As a similar phenomenon, it is said that it is called `` tongue phenomenon '' in psychological terms, and more technically `` lethologica '', which is difficult to remember even though it is out to the throat.

◆ 3: Absent-mindedness (upper sky)
'High up' is caused by a lack of attention. In other words, the memory wasn't encoded in the first place because you didn't pay attention when you should.

◆ 4: Misattribution (misattribution)
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False attribution '' refers to the fact that the memory itself is correct, but the attribution of that memory is incorrect. For example, the suspension bridge theory , which states that the thrilling experience of crossing a suspension bridge with a woman is mistakenly associated with the attractiveness of a woman, is also considered to be one of the misattributions.

◆ 5: Suggestibility
“Suggestiveness” is the distortion of memory by the provision of new information or by leading questions.

◆ 6: Bias
' Bias ' refers to the influence of factors such as a person's emotions and mood on memory when the memory is first acquired or recalled.

◆ 7: Persistence
“Persistence” refers to the persistent entry of disturbing memories into consciousness. For example, in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the sounds and images of the traumatic event are often replayed.

Of these seven, Mr. O'Mara is particularly concerned about 'suggestion'. A study published in 2015 in Psychological Science, a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by the American Association for Scientific Psychology, found that 70% of participants who had just three interviews said, 'I had a police incident when I was young.' An experimental result was reported that it was possible to plant a completely false memory that 'was'.

O'Mara said, ``In conclusion, confessions should be treated as highly suspect and easily contaminated trace evidence. No wonder so many false confessions and convictions were overturned when the nonprofit Innocence Project brought DNA profiling to justice. We have to be aware that the experience we have recalled may have nothing to do with what actually happened.'