title: False memories for end-of-life decisions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine people's false memories for end-of-life decisions.
  
  
  METHODS
  In Study 1, older adults decided which life-sustaining treatments they would want if they were seriously ill. They made these judgments twice, approximately 12 months apart. At Time 2, older adults and their self-selected surrogate decision makers tried to recall the older adults' Time 1 decisions. In Study 2, younger adults made treatment decisions twice, approximately 4 months apart. At Time 2, younger adults tried to recall their Time 1 decisions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Percentage of participants who falsely remembered that their original treatment decisions were the same as their current decisions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In Study 1, older adults falsely remembered that 75% of their original decisions were the same as their current decisions; surrogates falsely thought that 86% of older adults' decisions were the same. In Study 2, younger adults falsely remembered that 69% of their original decisions were the same as their current decisions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Age alone cannot account for people's false memories of their end-of-life decisions; we discuss other mechanisms. The results have practical implications for policies that encourage people to make legal documents specifying their end-of-life treatment decisions.
authors: School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia. s.sharman@unsw.edu.au
authors: Stefanie J
authors: SJ
authors: Sharman
authors: Maryanne
authors: M
authors: Garry
authors: Jill A
authors: JA
authors: Jacobsen
authors: Elizabeth F
authors: EF
authors: Loftus
authors: Peter H
authors: PH
authors: Ditto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016223:Advance Directives / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007872:Legal Guardians / Q000523:psychology; D008020:Life Support Care / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D012094:Repression, Psychology