Law & disorder: false memories and emotional bias in immersive environments

False memories have become a focal point of research due to their implications for both cognitive science and the legal field. Investigating this phenomenon within virtual reality (VR) environments, our research focus on confidence ratings, response latency, and memory accuracy in relation to emotionally charged and immersive scenarios. The present dissertation aligns with the increasing trend of using VR technology in memory research, aiming to enhance knowledge with forensic implications. While VR-induced memory distortion is a significant concern, this tool closely examines episodic memory mechanisms and biases in an ecologically valid manner. Through three studies, this dissertation examines the role of varying degrees of emotional valence in immersive environments and its impact on memory recognition. Hypothesizing that VR and emotionally arousing scenarios will yield more instances of false memories, the first experiment highlights recognition biases using the “Remember/Know” Paradigm. The second and third experiments focus on observing complex actions in emotionally neutral scenarios, contributing to the understanding that VR and the complexity of actions enhance the incidence of false memories through backward inferences. The findings bear implications for using VR in legal and psychological practices, especially in eyewitness testimonies. Additionally, by assessing memory accuracy, VR helps explore memory distortions driven by experiences closer to real-life situations. This contributes to a more nuanced understanding of how emotions can both improve and diminish cognitive processing, ultimately leading to professional knowledges and ethical application of VR in sensitive domains, such as assessing eyewitness recognition accuracy and confidence.