Warwick researchers find that almost half of us remember events that never happened

Researchers at Warwick University have carried out a new study to see how likely it is for people to remember events that never happened.

The findings have raised further doubts about the credibility of eyewitness statements used in court and reveal how people can develop false beliefs.

In the study, 400 participants were asked to imagine a range of fictional events, such as making a scene at a family wedding, pranking a teacher or taking a hot air balloon ride.

The results revealed that around half of the people, believed to some extent that they experienced these events.

A third of the participants appeared to remember the event and could even add their own details when recalling it.

While 23 per cent showed signs that to a degree, they accepted the fake memory as their own.

Dr Kimberley Wade, a psychologist from Warwick University, commented: “The findings that a large portion of people are prone to developing false beliefs is important.

“We know from other research that distorted beliefs can influence people’s behaviours, intentions and attitudes.”

The Warwick researchers wrote a paper in the journal Memory, where they concluded that their “results reinforce how important it is to continue educating people about the malleability of memory.”