The misinformation effect
Participants who watched a car crash video and were asked how fast the cars were going when they “smashed” later falsely remembered seeing broken glass. This demonstrates:
Answer B: explanation for every choice
A
Proactive interference is older memories disrupting new learning.
B
Correct. Misleading information after an event alters the memory of the event.
C
Encoding specificity is better recall when retrieval cues match encoding conditions.
D
Flashbulb memories are vivid memories of emotionally significant events, often confidently held but inaccurate.
TakeawayPost-event information can reshape memory of the event.
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Reviewed 2026-11-05 by a medical student. Spot an error? Report it with question ID ps103.