The idea that memories are reconstructed (rather than static, like papers in a file folder) has a number of interesting implications. For example, think about events in your early childhood. Do you...

The idea that memories are reconstructed (rather than static, like papers in a file folder) has a number of interesting implications. For example, think about events in your early childhood. Do you really remember them, or are you ‘remembering’ something based on anecdotes that you have heard repeatedly from your parents and other family members? How can you tell the difference? Are you sure?

Reconstruction also raises the possibility that we distort memories of earlier events to fit our later knowledge (Blank and Nestler 2007; Erdfelder and Brandt 2007). This hindsight bias is expressed in the phrase, ‘hindsight has 20–20 vision’. For example, sports fans will often dissect a disappointing game, focusing on elements that seemed insignificant during the game itself, in order to ‘explain’ the outcome. Have you ever had the experience of looking back on a situation and thinking ‘I should have seen that!’? Was there really something you overlooked, or is this hindsight bias at work? Is there a simple way to decide?