Memory's Sins: Understanding the Conflicting Recollections of 9/11

The contrasting recollections of former counterterrorism director Richard Clarke and national security official Franklin C. Miller regarding the events of 9/11 have sparked debate about the accuracy of their memories. As Condoleezza Rice prepares to testify before the 9/11 commission, it's essential to consider the psychological factors that can lead to conflicting memories. Research shows that memory errors can be classified into seven categories, with transience, misattribution, and bias being particularly relevant to these conflicting recollections.

Key Takeaways:

• Conflicting recollections of the same event are not uncommon, and can be attributed to the way the brain stores and retrieves information.
• Memory errors can be classified into seven categories, including transience, misattribution, and bias.
• Transience refers to the fading of memories over time, with specific details being lost more quickly than general information.
• Misattribution occurs when we remember aspects of an experience correctly but attribute them to the wrong source.
• Bias can distort the past, with current knowledge, beliefs, or feelings influencing our recollection.
• Studies have shown that even traumatic experiences can be subject to memory errors, including distortions of time and place.
• Research also reveals an egocentric bias, where we tend to remember the past in ways that reflect positively on our current self.
• External corroboration is crucial in verifying the accuracy of memories, as internal biases and errors can lead to conflicting recollections.
• The 9/11 commission, and the country, should be aware of these psychological factors when evaluating testimonies and attempting to reconstruct the events of 9/11.

Statistics:

• 12 people were asked to summarize their activities during a "typical day" at work, and later recount what they did the day before and a week before.
• The study found that memory was a nearly verbatim record of what actually happened a day after the event, but was closer to a generic description of what usually happens a week later.
• Studies have shown that memory errors occur even with the best efforts to recollect the past accurately.
• Research has identified seven categories of memory errors, including transience, misattribution, and bias.

Sources:

• "Against All Enemies" by Richard Clarke
• Research by Dr. Elizabeth Loftus on transience and misattribution
• "Memory: A Very Short Introduction" by John Cook
• "The Unreliability of Human Memory" by John Rachinger
• "Memory, Suggestion, and Psychoanalysis" by Fredric Brown