Can the Act of Recalling a Memory Actually Alter It?

💡 The Answer

• Each time a memory is retrieved, it becomes temporarily malleable and susceptible to change.
• The process of reconsolidation can introduce new details or blend the memory with current knowledge.
• This is why eyewitness testimony can be unreliable after repeated questioning.
• Retrieval-induced forgetting occurs when recalling one memory suppresses related memories.