From normal to pathological forms of false memory: insights from experimental and ecological approaches
Dr. Valentina La Corte, Associate Professor
Laboratoire Mémoire, Cerveau et Cognition, UR 7536, Université de Paris Cité, France Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
Date, time and venue: Tuesday, April 22nd, 2025, CIMCYC conference room, 12.30pm
Abstract:
False memories—recollections of events that never occurred or that are distorted versions of actual experiences—are a pervasive phenomenon in both healthy individuals and clinical populations. This presentation explores the continuum between normal and pathological memory distortions through a series of recent empirical studies. In healthy participants, I will present findings from experiments using the Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm, focusing on how specific warning instructions can influence the formation of false memories. I will also discuss the use of immersive virtual reality to investigate memory distortions in ecologically valid settings, particularly in the context of cognitive aging. On the pathological side, the presentation will address confabulation—a striking and disabling form of false memory observed in patients with brain damage. Drawing on neuropsychological and neuroimaging data, I will highlight the distinct mechanisms underlying confabulation and compare them to other forms of memory distortion. This integrative perspective aims to advance our understanding of the cognitive architecture of memory distortions, with implications for both theoretical models and clinical practice.