Extending the range of adaptive misbelief: Memory “distortions” as functional features
Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Vol. 32, No. 6, pg. 513-514, 2009.
Pascal Boyer
A large amount of research in cognitive psychology is focused on memory
distortions, understood as deviations from various (largely implicit)
standards. Many alleged distortions actually suggest a highly
functional system that balances the cost of acquiring new information
with the benefit of relevant, contextually appropriate decision-making.
In this sense many memories may be examples of functionally adaptive
misbelief.
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