Distinguished Lecture Series: Elizabeth F. Loftus (UC Irvine)
Registration required! Register via e-mail and quote: “Loftus” For at least a century, scientists have demonstrated the tricks memory can play. More recently, they have shown that people can be led to develop entire memories for events that never happened – “Rich false memories.” People have been led to remember nonexistent events from the recent past as well as non-existent events from their childhood. People can be led to falsely believe that they have had experiences that are rather bizarre or implausible. False memories, like true ones, also have consequences for people, affecting later thoughts, intentions, and behaviors. They can be readily planted, even in the minds of people who have distinctly superior memories. False memories look very much like true ones: they can be confidently told, detailed, and expressed with emotion. These findings have implications for the pursuit of justice in legal cases, for the practices of psychotherapists who listen to patients’ memories, and for everyday life. Elizabeth F. Loftus, University of California, Irvine where she is a Distinguished Professor of Social Ecology, and a Professor of Law, and of Cognitive Science in the Departments of Psychology and Social Behavior, and Criminology, Law, and Society. She is also director of The Center for Psychology and Law and a Fellow of The Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory. All are welcome!
