The Memory Illusion: Remembering, Forgetting, and the Science of False Memory

Memories make us who we are--yet the truth is they are far from being the accurate record we like to think they are. We can all admit to occasional memory lapses, but what if we have the potential for more profound errors of memory, even verging on outright fabrication and self-deception? Forensic psychologist and memory expert Dr. Julia Shaw uses the latest research to show the astonishing variety of ways in which our brains can be led astray. She shows why we can misappropriate other people's memories, believing them to be our own. She explains how police officers can imprison an innocent man for life on the basis of 300 denials and just one confession. She demonstrates the way radically false memories can be deliberately implanted, leading people to believe that they brutally murdered a loved one, or were abducted by aliens. And she reveals how, in spite of all this, we can improve our memory through awareness of its fallibility.

Author: Julia Shaw
Publisher: Random House UK
Published: 08/01/2017
Pages: 288
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.45lbs
Size: 7.70h x 5.00w x 0.90d
ISBN13: 9781847947611
ISBN10: 1847947611
BISAC Categories:
- Psychology | Cognitive Psychology & Cognition
- Psychology | Cognitive Neuroscience & Cognitive Neuropsychology
- Self-Help | Personal Growth | Memory Improvement

About the Author

Dr. Julia Shaw is a regular contributor to Scientific American.