Event overview
Professor Elizabeth Loftus will talk about the consequences false memories can have for people, affecting later thoughts, intentions, and behaviours, and their implications in the pursuit of justice in legal cases.
Abstract
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 non-existent 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 behaviours. They can be readily planted 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.
Biography
Elizabeth Loftus is Distinguished Professor at the University of California, Irvine, where she holds faculty positions in three departments. She has published 22 books (including the award winning Eyewitness Testimony) and 500 scientific articles. Her research of the last 30 years has focused on the malleability of human memory, for which she has been recognised with six honorary doctorates. The Review of General Psychology ranked Loftus #58 in their list of the 100 most eminent psychologists of the 20th century, the top ranked woman. She received the Gold Medal Award for Life Achievement in the Science of Psychology from the American Psychological Foundation (for “extraordinary contributions to our understanding of memory during the past 40 years that are remarkable for their creativity and impact”) in 2013.
The doors will open at 10.30 am and the talk will start promptly at 11 am.
Please print out your ticket, or bring an electronic copy, and bring your Goldsmiths student or staff ID card (if you are a Goldsmiths student or staff member).
Dates & times
| Date | Time | Add to calendar |
|---|---|---|
| 25 Mar 2015 | 11:00am - 12:00pm |
Accessibility
If you are attending an event and need the College to help with any mobility requirements you may have, please contact the event organiser in advance to ensure we can accommodate your needs.
