How Much Can We Trust Our Memories?

Stefan Kohler (University of Western Ontario)

There are times when memory acts as our closest confidant, allowing us to relive cherished moments of our personal past. At other times, we may feel betrayed by our own memories, such as when we realize that they don’t line up with objective records of the past. In the current talk, I will review research from psychology and cognitive neuroscience that addresses the fallibility of human memory, and I will discuss some of the critical factors at play that have been identified in this scientific body of work. I plan to illustrate research findings with anecdotes from daily life, and I will also highlight some of their implications for legal settings (e.g., eyewitness testimony). Finally, I will discuss why these limitations of human memory do not necessarily have to be seen as ‘vices’, and how they can be tied to its many scientifically well documented strengths.