False memory, second to forgetting, is one of two basic types of episodic memory distortion (Holliday, Brainerd & Reyna, 2010). Simply put, false memory is the propensity to view normal events as a fraction of a key experience that was not actually an element of that experience (Holliday, Brainerd, & Reyna). False memories are something that almost everyone experiences. Furthermore, false memory is defined as cobbled together and constructed representations of incorrect mental patterns (Solso, MacLin & MacLin, 2008). Individuals do not intentionally fabricate their memories. However, perceptual and social factors are some of the things responsible for memory manipulation (Solso, MacLin & MacLin, 2008). Researchers argue that some memories of an individual's past are artificial (Solso, MacLin & MacLin, 2008). The reason researchers suggest for these fabricated representations of the past is created by therapeutic techniques possibly to gratify the therapist (Solso, MacLin & MacLin, 2008). A person's memory of particular life events is influenced by the related events that pursue them (Saragozza, Mitchell, Pagamento & Drivdahl, 2011). For example, after a tragic event, an individual is more susceptible to things around him. Unintentionally, things are stored in memory that may or may not be real or related to the specific event. In an attempt to explain false memories, researchers have developed a technique called "lost in the mall." In the “lost in the mall” technique study, participants were given bite-sized descriptions of events that occurred during their childhood, as well as a false account of the participant being lost in the mall during childhood (Solso, …. .. half of the paper ......but involuntary real-life events. Whether or not these memories can be repressed or reversed is still being evaluated. Works Cited Dehon, H., Laroi, F., & Van der Linder, M. (2011). Influence of coding style on the production of false memories in the DRM paradigm: new insights into individual differences in susceptibility to false memory and individual differences, 50(1), 583-587.Holliday, R ., Brainerd, C. and Reyna, V. (2010) Developmental reversals in false memory: Now you see them, now you don't! Developmental Psychology, 47(2), 442-449. and MacLin, K. (2008) Cognitive Psychology (8th ed.): Pearson Learning Solutions Zaragoza, M., Mitchell, K., Payment, K., and Drivdahl, S. (2011). ). False memories for cues: The impact of conceptual processing. Journal of memory and language, 64(1), 18-31.