Misrecall

To inaccurately remember or recount something; to fail to accurately retrieve a memory, resulting in distortions, omissions, or fabrications. This can apply to details of events, facts, names, or any information stored in memory. The act of misrecalling implies a genuine attempt to remember, but the information is either not fully or accurately available to the conscious mind, potentially due to interference, decay of memories, or biases. The inaccuracies inherent in misrecall highlight the fallibility of human memory and its susceptibility to various influences, emphasizing the importance of corroborating information from multiple sources when accuracy is critical. It can affect even the most acute observers, and may lead to the creation of false memories.

Misrecall meaning with examples

• The witness struggled to recall the car's color, eventually misrecalling it as blue, though the police report confirmed it was actually green. This small detail, a misrecall, could affect the investigation. The stress of the event and time elapsed contributed to the inaccuracy.
• During the historical reenactment, I misrecalled the exact date of the treaty signing. I believed it was signed in 1788, but, upon further research, found that my misrecall was a year off.
• The patient, under hypnosis, misrecalled significant portions of his childhood. Therapists were skeptical of the accounts, knowing the human brain can be very subjective, and potentially subject to a significant degree of bias when reliving memory.
• After the intense debate, several participants misrecalled the arguments made by their opponents. Their accounts showed a biased account and were skewed in favor of their personal viewpoint as memory served them.
• The journalist misrecalled several names mentioned in the interview, which led to a retraction of part of the story. The errors in the recounting of the material could damage the reputation of the source and of the journalist.