Paper Alert: Examining the Effects of Mood and Emotional Valence on the Creation of False Autobiographical Memories

In a new study with Ahmad Shahvaroughi and Henry Otgaar we investigate the relationship between mood and the formation of false autobiographical memories. Using an innovative blind implantation method, the research reveals that while mood doesn’t significantly affect false memory creation, negative events are much more likely to result in false memories than positive ones. False beliefs and memories were implanted in 6% to 35% of participants. Negative events led to significantly higher false memory formation than positive ones. This research underscores the importance of careful handling of memory in therapeutic settings to avoid implanting false traumatic memories.
Read the full paper on SSRN: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4974308 and ResearchGate: