Monday 7 November 2016

False memories: The Mandela Effect

Left: Which version is real, and which is Photoshopped?

In 1978, a famous psychologist named Elizabeth Loftus conducted “The Misinformation Effect”, a study which found one’s recollection of memories can be distorted by subsequent information.

Loftus said: “The misinformation effect refers to the impairment in memory for the past that arises after exposure to misleading information.”

In other words, if someone says or implies that something looks a certain way, there’s a natural tendency to believe them if you’ve never paid close attention to it.

In some cases, the misleading information can actually overwrite one’s original memory, if it’s presented in a way that makes it seem more plausible...

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/wtf/the-mandela-effect