Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 22, 2026
07:30
Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study
Published on: August 18, 2020
7.5K
False memory formation in cannabis users: a field study.
Lilian Kloft1, Henry Otgaar2,3, Arjan Blokland2
1Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands. l.kloft@maastrichtuniversity.nl.
Psychopharmacology
|June 29, 2019
Summary
Cannabis use, whether intoxicated or sober, increases false memories of unrelated items. This suggests cannabis alters how people judge new information, making them more likely to misremember.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Psychopharmacology
Background:
- Cannabis use is prevalent globally.
- Previous research links cannabis to memory deficits.
- The effect of cannabis on false memory production remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of cannabis consumption on the creation of false memories.
- To compare memory performance across different cannabis use groups.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Deese/Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm to induce false memories.
- Assessed true recognition and false alarm rates for critical lures and unrelated items.
- Compared memory performance in three groups: intoxicated cannabis users, sober cannabis users, and cannabis-naïve controls.
Main Results:
- Cannabis consumers (intoxicated and sober) showed higher rates of falsely recognizing unrelated items compared to controls.
- No significant difference in false memory rates for critical lures was observed between groups.
- Individuals without prior cannabis use history exhibited superior memory accuracy than intoxicated users.
Conclusions:
- Cannabis intoxication and regular use lead to a more lenient response bias for uncertain new information.
- This suggests cannabis affects the threshold for accepting new information as familiar.
- Findings highlight potential cognitive alterations associated with cannabis use beyond direct memory impairment.
Related Concept Videos
01:18False Memories
429
False memories represent a cognitive distortion in which individuals recall events that did not happen, or remember them in an altered form. This phenomenon highlights the brain's constructive nature in processing and recalling memories, emphasizing that memory is not a perfect representation of past events but rather a dynamic reconstruction influenced by various factors.
One primary source of false memories is misattribution, where individuals incorrectly associate external information...
One primary source of false memories is misattribution, where individuals incorrectly associate external information...
429
01:23System of Memory
7.2K
Memory is categorized into three major systems: sensory memory, short-term memory (STM), and long-term memory (LTM). These systems differ in their capacity and the duration for which they can hold information. Sensory memory captures raw sensory input from the environment, holding it for just a few seconds or less. For example, on hearing a brief, loud sound, like a car horn honking, the sound seems to linger in the mind for a moment even after it stops. This is an instance of sensory memory...
7.2K
01:24Working Memory
834
Working memory refers to a combination of components, including short-term memory and attention, that allow an individual to hold information temporarily as we perform cognitive tasks. It is an essential cognitive function that enables the execution of complex tasks such as problem-solving, comprehension, and reasoning. Unlike short-term memory, which simply involves the storage of information for a brief period, working memory involves the active manipulation and processing of this...
834
01:18Long-Term Memory
663
Long-term memory is a relatively permanent type of memory, capable of storing vast amounts of information over extended periods. Its storage capacity is generally considered unlimited.
Long-term memory can be categorized into two primary types: explicit and implicit memory. Explicit memory, also known as declarative memory, involves the conscious recollection of information that we deliberately try to remember, recall, and articulate. This type of memory encompasses specific facts, events, and...
Long-term memory can be categorized into two primary types: explicit and implicit memory. Explicit memory, also known as declarative memory, involves the conscious recollection of information that we deliberately try to remember, recall, and articulate. This type of memory encompasses specific facts, events, and...
663
01:20Traumatic Memory
560
Emotionally traumatic events often lead to memories that are exceptionally vivid and enduring, sometimes persisting with remarkable clarity throughout an individual's life. A classic example of this phenomenon is a person who survives a car accident. Even years later, they may recall every detail of the event with startling accuracy — the screeching of the tires, the jarring impact, and the acrid smell of burning rubber. Such vividness contrasts sharply with how an individual...
560
01:16Repressed Memory
505
Repressed memories are a psychological phenomenon where memories of traumatic events are unconsciously blocked from a person's awareness. This process occurs as a defense mechanism, protecting the mind from the emotional impact of distressing or painful experiences. For example, a person who has experienced childhood trauma may grow up with no conscious recollection of the event. In such cases, the memories are thought to be buried deep within the subconscious, inaccessible to the conscious...
505