Misattribution of memory
Remembering a piece of information or a face correctly but linking it to the wrong source, time or place. It is an umbrella term that covers source confusion, cryptomnesia and some false memories.
In everyday life
You tell a friend that your doctor recommended a certain vitamin, when you actually saw the advice in an online ad.
You recognize a man at the grocery store and feel sure he is the driver who dented your car last month, but you actually know his face from the gym you both use.
Why your mind does this
Memory is rebuilt each time we recall it, which lets us update what we know with new information. Revisiting a memory also strengthens it, so the things we return to often become the easiest to reach. This keeps our knowledge current without storing every version of every event.
Its family, in 30 seconds: Edited memories
How to spot it
Ask yourself whether you are sure where and from whom you learned this, or only sure of the fact itself.
How to counter it
Before repeating a claim or blaming someone, find a record, such as a message, link or receipt, that confirms where it came from.
Same family: Edited memories
- Misattribution of memory
- Source confusion
- Cryptomnesia
- False memory
- Suggestibility
- Spacing effect
SourcesSchacter (1999)·Wikipedia