False Working Memories and Familiarity-Based Interference in the Brain

University Of Michigan At Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor MI

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Abstract

[unreadable] DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Vivid remembering is often associated with a feeling of re-experiencing or reliving past events. However, research has shown that our episodic memories are not always reliable records of the past. Such memories may sometimes be false, reflecting events that never truly occurred. False memory effects have been well documented in the long-term memory literature. We have recently demonstrated a robust phenomenon of memory distortion and semantic interference in working memory as well. At present, very little is known about the psychological and neural mechanisms underlying such rapid memory distortions. The purpose of the present research is to examine the neurocognitive architecture of these false working memory effects. Given our constant reliance on working memory for short-term retention and online manipulation of task-relevant information, distortions of working memory have a unique potential to directly influence behavior. Increasing our knowledge of the mechanisms that underlie rapidly occurring false memories is crucial to the development of more accurate models of cognition and action in the real world. Furthermore, such research can reveal the circumstances under which vulnerability to memory distortion is modulated, and may allow for the development of techniques prevent such errors when necessary. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]