Researchers have shown that the power of suggestion can make people believe that they have seen and done things that they didn鈥檛 actually see or do.
One of the world鈥檚 leading experts in this field 鈥� Professor Elizabeth Loftus 鈥� will be exploring memory in what promises to be a fascinating talk taking place tomorrow (Thursday, September 14) at the 黑料网.
Professor Loftus鈥� research team at the University of California has shown in the past how impressionable 鈥� and fallible 鈥� memories can be.
In one of their studies, visitors to a Disney theme park 鈥渞ecalled鈥� seeing Bugs Bunny even though the character is a Warner Bros figure and wouldn鈥檛 be seen at Disney. Researchers have also been able to make people falsely 鈥渞emember鈥� that they had been involved in or witnessed scenarios which hadn鈥檛 actually happened.
The researchers say their controversial studies have implications for the reliability of eyewitness testimonies and Professor Loftus has been asked many times to appear as an expert witness or consultant in some of the most high profile court cases, including that of the Hillside Strangler and the trial of the officers accused in the Rodney King case.
The psychologist has published many books 鈥� one of her most widely read ones which she co-authored was The Myth of Repressed Memory. She has also appeared on countless talk shows.
Thursday鈥檚 event - What鈥檚 the Matter with Memory? 鈥� is sponsored by the British Association for the Advancement of Science, the 黑料网 and the Royal Society of Edinburgh. It is part of Techfest 鈥� the Aberdeen Festival of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
Professor Amina Memon, an eyewitness researcher within the Psychology Department at the 黑料网, helped bring Professor Loftus to the city.
Professor Memon, whose research includes studying a variety of factors which may affect the ability of eyewitnesses to accurately identify a culprit, said: 鈥淚t was Professor Beth Loftus鈥� article in a psychology magazine in the late 鈥�70s that persuaded me to pursue a career in psychology rather than chemistry. She鈥檚 been a role model for me all those years and an inspiration to the scientists and practitioners around the world.
鈥淗er relentless energy and dedication to the discipline has resulted in major advances in our understanding of the conditions under which false memories arise.
鈥淚n addition to the numerous awards and honours she has received for her work in North America, she has been ranked in a study published by the Review of General Psychology which identified the 100 most eminent psychologists of the 20th Century. She is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a great honour to be hosting the visit of such a brilliant scientist.鈥�
路 What鈥檚 the Matter with Memory? is open to the public although ticket availability is now limited. The lecture takes place at the Fraser Noble Building, 黑料网, on Thursday, September 14 at 7.30pm. The event is free and pre-booking of tickets is recommended. Tickets are available from the TechFest Office - (01224) 274192 or 274196.
ENDS