Read the following passage and answer the question below. Human memory is far more complex and less reliable than most people assume. Contrary to the common belief that memory works like a video recording, capturing events exactly as they happened, psychologists have found that memories are reconstructed each time they are recalled. This means that small details can change, merge with other memories, or even be entirely fabricated without a person's awareness. Factors such as stress, the passage of time, and suggestions from other people can all distort how an event is remembered. This phenomenon has significant implications, particularly in legal settings where eyewitness testimony is often treated as highly reliable evidence. Researchers studying memory now emphasize the importance of corroborating eyewitness accounts with physical evidence, since even confident and detailed memories can be inaccurate. Understanding the reconstructive nature of memory has reshaped how courts and investigators evaluate testimony. Question: What is the main idea of the passage?
- A. Eyewitness testimony is always accurate
- B. Stress has no effect on memory
- C. Human memory works exactly like a video recording
- D. Human memory is reconstructive and can be unreliable, which has practical implications ✓
Correct answer
D. Human memory is reconstructive and can be unreliable, which has practical implications
Explanation
The passage's central argument is that memory is reconstructed and can be unreliable, with implications for legal testimony.