Revealing the truth about false memories
Professor Elizabeth Loftus
An American psychologist known for her extensive research into the manipulation of human memory, including recovered memories of childhood sexual abuse, will be speaking at Monash South Africa (MSA) later this month.
Professor Elizabeth Loftus, a distinguished professor at the University of California, has an international reputation for her work on eyewitness memory and what is known as the misinformation effect, as well as on the nature and creation of false memories.
She will discuss the malleability of human memory and the consequences of misunderstanding it – including the imprisonment of innocent people.
Professor Lionel Nicholas from the South Africa School of Health Sciences said it was a great privilege to have Professor Loftus visit MSA.
“Professor Loftus’s research on how memory works in real-world settings, such as eyewitness testimonies, found that the way in which questions were worded altered the memories that subjects reported,” Professor Nicholas said.
“The misinformation effect became one of the most influential and widely known effects in psychology. We are eager to learn more from this leading expert.”
Professor Loftus’s visit to MSA coincides with the 30th International Congress of Psychology (ICP 2012), which is being held in Cape Town. She will be presenting at the congress.
Professor Loftus will deliver her lecture ‘From child abuse to serial killer; memory and misconceptions’ at 4pm on 30 July in seminar rooms 17 and 18, Building F, Monash South Africa campus.