What is false memory?

• A. A memory of events that never happened due to dream recall
• B. Mistaking suggestions by an interviewer for actual memories
• C. Correctly recalling memories under stress
• D. Memories that fade with time but are accurate

Answer: (B)

False memory happens when a person believes they remember something that never happened or recalls details differently because memory is flexible and can be shaped by later information. The option that describes mistaking suggestions by an interviewer for actual memories best fits this idea, because how a question is framed or what someone is told after the event can become part of what a person believes they witnessed. For example, leading questions or introduced details can be integrated into a memory, making it seem real even though it didn’t occur.

Other choices don’t capture this phenomenon: recalling events from dreams isn’t the same as false memories formed about real events, though dreams can feel vivid. Recalling accurately under stress or memories that fade with time while remaining accurate describe different memory dynamics and don’t inherently involve implanting false details.