Memory Misconceptions
This University of California, Irvine researcher pioneered 1970s experiments proving that subtle word changes, like using "smashed" instead of "hit," alter eyewitness speed estimates of car accidents.
Who is Elizabeth Loftus?
In 1993, psychologist Frances Rauscher discovered a temporary spatial-reasoning boost in college students, accidentally igniting this mass-marketed infant intelligence myth.
What is the Mozart Effect?
To disprove the myth of the universal midlife crisis, researchers point to data gathered by this major collaborative survey project funded by the MacArthur Foundation.
What is the MIDUS study (Midlife Development in the United States)?
This 1970s researcher and his colleagues faked auditory hallucinations to gain admission into psychiatric hospitals, proving staff could not reliably distinguish sane people from insane people.
Who is David Rosenhan?
This market researcher fueled the subliminal advertising panic in 1957 by claiming he spiked a movie theater projection with invisible "Eat Popcorn" prompts—a study he later confessed was entirely fabricated.
Who is James Vicary?
In chapter 4, the authors cite this flashbulb memory study showing that three years after the 1986 disaster, over 25% of participants completely changed their vivid recollections of how they heard the news.
What is the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion?
This 19th-century American railroad worker survived an iron rod blasting through his frontal lobe, inadvertently providing early proof that the entire brain serves active functions, not just 10%.
Who is Phineas Gage?
This specific, temporary phase of high emotional turmoil and parent-child conflict was popularized by psychologist G. Stanley Hall, but modern tracking shows it applies to only a small minority of teenagers.
What is Sturm und Drang (or Storm and Stress)?
The authors cite this specific 1964 New York City murder case to bust the myth of urban apathy, revealing that while onlookers did fail to intervene, the actual number of inactive "witnesses" was wildly inflated by newspapers.
Who is Kitty Genovese?
This specific type of memory distortion explains why people mistakenly claim they saw the first plane hit the North Tower on September 11th on live TV, even though that footage did not air until September 12th.
What is source amnesia?
This massive, ongoing longitudinal study of gifted children tracking high-IQ individuals (called "Termites") debunked the myth that genius-level intelligence leads to social burnout or mental instability.
What is the Terman Study of the Gifted?
This landmark long-term study conducted in Kauai by Werner and Smith tracked at-risk children to prove that a single stable, supportive adult relationship can foster lifetime psychological resilience.
What is the Kauai Longitudinal Study?
This inkblot assessment technique, developed in 1921, is heavily criticized in Chapter 9 for its lack of incremental validity, meaning it fails to provide diagnostic information beyond simple, standard questionnaires.
What is the Rorschach Inkblot Test?
To debunk the myth of total amnesia from head trauma, the book notes that patients with this specific condition can learn new jigsaw puzzles but will never remember having practiced them.
What is anterograde amnesia?
When busting the left-brain vs. right-brain myth, the book highlights this thick bundle of nerve fibers that ensures both hemispheres constantly share data.
What is the corpus callosum?
This field observation term describes why senior citizens living in standard nursing homes show sharper cognitive function when granted small daily choices, like caring for a specific plant.
What is perceived control (or autonomy enhancement)?
In discussing the myth of "Opposites Attract," the authors point to this specific cognitive bias, which causes us to remember the few striking couples who are totally different while ignoring the millions of highly similar couples.
What is illusory correlation?
This French psychologist and pioneer of memory research debunked his own vivid childhood memory of being kidnapped after his former nurse confessed to inventing the entire story.
Who is Jean Piaget?
This scientist coined the term "synesthesia" and was the first to systematically study it, proving that mixed sensory wiring is a real neurological trait rather than an active imagination.
Who is Francis Galton?
This specific visual cliff experiment setup by Eleanor Gibson and Richard Walk proved that human infants develop depth perception as soon as they can crawl, countering the idea that it must be taught through trial and error.
What is the Visual Cliff study?
To debunk the myth that venting anger reduces aggression, the book highlights this researcher’s experiment where participants who hit a punching bag while thinking about an offender became more aggressive in subsequent tasks.
Who is Brad Bushman?