Recollection

[Tom Kysilko]

This message is definitely self-referential.

Mike remarks about memories of FDR's and JFK's assassinations reminded me
of an NPR news show on which a social scientist of some stripe or other was
interviewed on just this topic.  The researcher claimed their work showed
that even as early as five years after such major events, people's memories
of the "where were you when" type are often flawed and sometimes completely
wrong.

I believe that in some instances, subject's stories were checked out and
found to be erroneous.  I also seem to recall that there was a longitudinal
part in which subjects were asked about these memories at intervals of
several years.  In some significant number of cases, the subject's various
recollections were seriously inconsistent.  Typically, when confronted with
the inconsistency, the subjects would stick by their recent recollections,
not understanding why they would have given the previous account, and not
even remembering having done so.

The interview probably aired in late November.  1998 is a good candidate
year.  Of course, I may have dreamt up the whole thing.

--Tom Kysilko

At 04:51 PM 2/3/2000 -0600, Mike Salovesh wrote:
. . .
>
>In the first few years after the JFK assassination, I could use that
>comparison to show the contrast between mere anecdote and producing a
>scientific theory.  People who lived through JFK's death could tell
>anecdotes about where they were when they heard the news.