What are false memories that a person believes to be true called?

Study for the AMSCO AP Psychology – Cognitive Psychology Test. Dive into flashcards and multiple-choice questions, each equipped with hints and explanations. Ace your exam!

False memories that a person believes to be true are referred to as pseudomemories. This term describes instances where individuals recall events or details that did not actually occur or are distorted versions of actual events, yet they hold a strong conviction that these memories are real. The phenomenon highlights the malleable nature of memory and how suggestions, misinformation, or even creative imagination can lead individuals to construct elaborate memories that feel authentic even when they are not.

Other terms in the options pertain to different concepts within cognitive psychology. For instance, context-dependent memories relate to how the context in which information is learned can affect recall; state-dependent memories focus on how a person's emotional or physiological state during encoding can influence retrieval; and metacognitive errors involve misunderstandings about one’s own memory processes or abilities. While these concepts are relevant to memory studies, they do not specifically address the idea of falsely recalled memories that an individual believes to be accurate.

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