The seven sins of memory: an update

Memory. 2022 Jan;30(1):37-42. doi: 10.1080/09658211.2021.1873391. Epub 2021 Jan 17.

Abstract

Memory serves critical functions in everyday life, but it is also vulnerable to error and illusion. Two decades ago, I proposed that memory errors could be classified into seven basic categories or "sins": transience, absent-mindedness, blocking, misattribution, suggestibility, bias, and persistence. I argued that each of the seven sins provides important insights concerning the fundamentally constructive nature of human memory, while at the same time reflecting its adaptive features. In this article I briefly summarise some key developments during the past two decades that have increased our understanding of the nature, consequences, and adaptive functions of the memory sins.

Keywords: Constructive memory; adaptive functions; memory errors; misattribution; suggestibility.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Bias
  • Humans
  • Memory*