Confabulations (II): Explicative Models

Abstract

Introduction. Confabulations, or the production of false memories without deliberate intent to lie, is an intriguing phenomenon for which an attempt has been made to explain it since they were first described. Confabulations are a good example for illustrating the reconstructive character of memory. Nevertheless, their exact nature and the way in which they are produced are still controversial.

Objective. To review the different models proposed to explain the appearance of confabulations.

Development. Neuropsychological models that currently have some theoretical development and empirical evidence are reviewed. In addition, a brief reference to motivational models, that have recently begun to recover popularity, are presented. We conclude by presenting the last version of the strategic retrieval model that makes it possible to integrate the relevant elements from the others.

Conclusions. Early models of confabulations, which considered them a result of the need to fill memory gaps, are outdated nowadays. Nevertheless, emotional processes are taken into account to explain their content. From neuropsychological approaches, it is possible to distinguish models that consider confabulation as a result of a temporal or contextual problem, and those which consider that the main problem is on the memory retrieval process. More specifically, the strategic retrieval hypothesis states that confabulations are the result of a dysfunction in a complex system of monitoring the recovered information. This model would make it possible to integrate explanations and evidences coming from the other proposals.