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MENTAL MODEL · M4982

Source Monitoring Error

Source Monitoring Error
Learn & MetacognitionHigh supportMemory Psychology
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Updated 2026-08-02

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INTRODUCTION

English translation pending.

CORE DEFINITION

Described by Marcia Johnson and colleagues in memory research, a source monitoring error occurs when the content of a memory is retained but its origin is lost or misattributed. The core claim is that memory stores what was learned more reliably than where it came from, so a dream, a film, or a rumor can later feel like a firsthand observation. Key qualifications are that the errors increase with delay and with similarity between sources, and that high confidence in the content says nothing about the accuracy of the source.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

- Trace the origin: follow the memory back to a specific source before you trust it. - Check the record: look for external documentation instead of relying on recall. - Distrust familiarity: treat a feeling of knowing as no evidence that the source was reliable.

anchor

Anchor fast decisions

Encoding emphasizes what is being learned, while the source is a contextual detail that decays faster. When two sources are similar, or when time has passed, the surviving content becomes detached from its origin and is reattributed to whatever seems plausible. Because a feeling of familiarity accompanies the content rather than the source, the person experiences confident recall of something that was never witnessed, which is how rumors become remembered facts.

MINIMUM ACTION

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Source support: Explicit

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    en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Source-monitoring_errorZH · Explicit
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