This is because our brains work in a funny way. We will often tend to plug holes in our memory with completely made-up memories—Memories that never actually happened. Or happened in ways that weren’t exactly as we remember it.
There have been many cases where eyewitness testimonies in court were later shown to be false. The witness wasn’t intentionally lying. They genuinely believed that what they saw was true.
Or maybe you have vivid childhood memories of an event, but you find out years later the event in question happened completely differently from how you remember it.
This Is because our memories can be influenced by things like pictures and family stories, or in the case of eyewitness testimony, suggestive questioning.
Our mind tends to fill in gaps in memory with details that seem plausible.
For UX professionals this comes into play mostly when dealing with participants in research activities.
It’s important to understand that how we ask a question can greatly influence the answers we will receive. Sometimes these answers can be more harmful than no answer at all.
🎯 Here are some key takeaways:
Be mindful of memory limitations
Recognize that participants may unintentionally confabulate due to memory gaps or cognitive biases. Avoid relying only on individual anecdotes when making decisions.
Cross-reference with objective data
Validate participant claims and memories by comparing them with actual user behavior, analytics, or other objective sources of information.
Create an open and non-judgmental environment
Encourage participants to be honest about their experiences and provide them with ample opportunity to correct or revise their responses as they reflect on their experiences.
Practice active listening
Pay attention to what participants are saying and listen for inconsistencies or details that may indicate confabulation. This will allow you to probe deeper or validate their statements.
Encourage participant reflection
Ask participants to think aloud, reflect on their experiences, and review any conflicting information to help them differentiate between accurate memories and confabulated details.
đź“š Keep exploring
To dive deeper into the topic of attentional bias and its implications for decision-making, check out these resources:
