Objective: To investigate how false memories can be created.
Method: Attempt to implant a memory of meeting Bugs Bunny at Disneyland, which is impossible due to character licensing (Bugs Bunny is a Warner Brothers character, not Disney).
Methodology
Presentation of a Fake Ad:
Participants were shown a fabricated advertisement for Disney.
The ad included an image of Disney castle along with Bugs Bunny.
Participants evaluated the ad based on preferences (colors, layout).
Memory Recall Task
Follow-up Questions:
Participants were asked to recall childhood trips to Disneyland.
They were prompted with a list of characters: Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, the Little Mermaid, Bugs Bunny.
Results
False Memory Creation:
Many participants claimed they remembered meeting Bugs Bunny.
Participants added details to their memory, such as:
Shaking Bugs Bunny's hand.
Touching Bugs Bunny's tail.
Bugs Bunny eating a carrot.
These details made the false memory seem real to the participants.
Conclusion
The experiment successfully implanted a false memory.
Participants embellished the false memory with specific details, making it indistinguishable from a real memory despite it being impossible.