I'm amazed at the HN readers who are doubting this. Loftus and her colleagues demonstrated a long time ago that memory is a constructive process and it is incredibly easy to implant false memories in others.
Some of the factors that help implant a false memory:
1. If the person was distracted at the time of the memory.
2. If the false memory is plausible.
3. If there is social pressure indicating that the false memory is true.
4. If the person is reinforced in some way for recalling the false memory.
It's stupidly easy to make people remember stuff that never happened. Psychologists have known this for a long time and it's one of the most bulletproof findings in psychology.
Some of the factors that help implant a false memory:
1. If the person was distracted at the time of the memory.
2. If the false memory is plausible.
3. If there is social pressure indicating that the false memory is true.
4. If the person is reinforced in some way for recalling the false memory.
It's stupidly easy to make people remember stuff that never happened. Psychologists have known this for a long time and it's one of the most bulletproof findings in psychology.