Why Does the Misinformation Effect Occur?

The misinformation effect occurs when a person's recall of episodic memories becomes less accurate because of post-event information. ... Essentially, the new information that a person receives works backward in time to distort memory of the original event.

What is the misinformation effect in psychology?

The misinformation effect refers to the tendency for post-event information to interfere with the memory of the original event. Researchers have shown that the introduction of even relatively subtle information following an event can have a dramatic effect on how people remember.

What is the misinformation effect how is it used?

The misinformation effect is a term used in the cognitive psychological literature to describe both experimental and real-world instances in which misleading information is incorporated into an account of an historical event.

James H. Sterling

James H. Sterling

Environmental Science & Climate Journalist

James Sterling reports on renewable energy developments, climate policy, ecological conservation, and green tech innovations around the globe.