ABSTRACT
Memory is often, but not invariably, a trustworthy guide to the past. Understanding the basis of memory’s errors, involving mistakes of both omission and commission, is an important focus of contemporary research (cf., Johnson, Hashtroudi, & Lindsay, 1993; Koriat & Goldsmith, 1996; Koriat, Goldsmith, & Pansky, 2000; Koutstaal & Schacter, 1997b; Roediger, 1996; Schacter, 1999). Developing a theoretical account of memory errors requires understanding the nature of fundamental processes involved in the initial perception and interpretation of events (memory encoding), and processes involved in recognition or recall when we “re-collect” aspects of earlier experienced events (memory retrieval). Fergus Craik has contributed immensely to our understanding of these fundamental memory processes, and in so doing has also provided important insights into the basis of memory’s imperfections. 1
