Watch for
Trusting information because it feels familiar while forgetting the credibility of the source.
Memory & AttentionBias #73
Source Confusion
We remember the fact but forget where we learned it.
The tendency to accurately recall information while misremembering the original context time or source from which it was learned.
Why it matters: Also called source monitoring error. Explains how misinformation spreads.
Try this
Note the source at the time of learning especially for important information.
Real-world example
Recalling a statistic but forgetting whether you heard it on a credible news program or a biased podcast.
Key researchers
Marcia Johnson, Larry Jacoby
First described in 1993
Psychological mechanism
Source monitoring failure. Memory for content and memory for source are encoded separately. The source tag is more vulnerable to decay leaving the fact floating without context.
Seminal research
Marcia K. Johnson, Shahin Hashtroudi, and D. Stephen Lindsay (1993), "Source monitoring."
Related Biases
Debrief
Biases are not character flaws. They are recurring patterns in how minds compress uncertainty, save energy, and narrate reality. Once you recognise the pattern, you can slow the decision down, test the assumption, and make space for a better explanation.
Sources
Original ResearchJohnson Hashtroudi and Lindsay (1993) — Source monitoring
EducationalAPA Dictionary entry