Science Friday Kids' Connection^tm -- in association with Kidsnet
Making False Memories (February 4, 2005, One)

Program Summary | Guests | Related Links and Resources | For Discussion | Activities | Hear the program | About Kids Connection | SFKC Home

Program Summary

I could swear her eyes were blue. Sorry, her eyes were brown. Sound familiar? We may like to think that we have photographic memories, but in reality our minds remember a lot of stuff that didn’t happen, a phenomenon call false memory. Police run up against false memories all the time when they investigate crimes – ten witnesses may have ten different versions of the event, and each one swears they are right. They’re not lying, they’re just remembering differently.

Why does the brain create a false memory? We still don’t know, but a new study tells us how. Researchers at The Johns Hopkins University performed MRI scans on volunteers while they were being shown a story several times in slide show format. Each time some small details were varied. The scans allowed the scientists to observe which part of the brain was active while the volunteers were watching the different shows. The subjects were then questioned about what they remembered, and the researchers found that one part of the brain was active during the creation of true memories, while another part was dominant during the formation of false ones.

Could this lead to a new form of lie detector? It’s doubtful, because people with false memories really believe they are correct. Now, are you sure you put a stamp on the electric bill?

Guests

Craig Stark, assistant professor of psychology at The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland

Related Links and Resources

How the Brain Creates False Memories
Psychologytoday.com, March/April, 2004: False Memory in a Flash
WebMD.com, February 2, 2005: Brain Doesn't Always Spot False Memories

For Discussion:

• What is a false memory? Have you ever experienced one? What was it?
• What part of the brain is involved in creating a false memory?
• Why do you think the brain creates false memories? How can they be harmful?
• What role does suggestion play in creating false memories?

Activities

Try to remember... The Memory Exhibition from the Exploratorium is a fascinating journey into memory. A virtual sheep brain dissection explains the anatomy of memory, while playing with “droodles” tests your memory. Have students write down an account of something that happened to them and compare their account with what their parents, siblings, or friends remember.

Mind games. At Neuroscience for Kids, students learn about the relationship between Memory and the Hippocampus, the section of the brain that is responsible for forming memories. A variety of games and activities on the Memory and Learning page provide demonstrations of the power of memory. In Pieces of Mind from Scientific American Frontiers, students examine and analyze the effects of various stimuli on memory. The activities are designed to sharpen their memory skills through mnemonic devices, associations, visual recall and memory maps.

True or false? Forging False Memories (WebMD) discusses the power of suggestion in false memories. A classroom activity at “Kidnapped by UFOs” (an episode of PBS “NOVA”) explores the imperfection of memory by challenging students to remember as much as possible about a staged classroom disturbance. Creating False Memories (recommended for adults) examines research into “repressed”memories and illustrations of the damage they can do.

Visit these Science Friday Kids’ Connection pages for more info and activities about memory: September 24, 2004, Hour One: Making Memories, June 11, 2004, Hour One: The Sleepy Brain, March 7, 2003, Hour One: Healthy Aging,

Use the search box below to perform a Google search within any of the specifc sites or general domains mentioned in this Activities section.

Hear the Program

Listen to this program in Real Audio!

Real Audio archive courtesy of NPR Online. If nothing happens when you click the link, you may need to download a free player.