ABSTRACT
In commenting on John Dean’s testimony in the investigation of Watergate and how it compared with the audiotapes that were later produced, Neisser (1982) stated, “The circumstances and the man conspired to favor exaggeration…. His ambition reorganized his recollections” (p. 157). Research has repeatedly shown that the imposition of forces both internal and external can serve to influence one’s memory of events. Unlike the Watergate investigation, most researchers cannot use naturalistic observation, nor can they rely on a coincidence such as finding audiotapes to later verify whether events occurred as recalled. Experimental research on false memories has used several strategies for verification, such as testing memory using specific controlled stimuli, having participants keep accurate records of events for later testing, querying about memories before the age of 3 when childhood amnesia would prevent the recall of any true memories, or attempting to corroborate facts about the memory from other sources.
