Distinguished Professor of Social Ecology, and Professor of Law, and Cognitive Science
Ph.D. Stanford University
Phone:
(949) 824-3285
Email:
eloftus@uci.edu
Office:
2393 Social Ecology II
Specializations:
cognitive psychology, human memory, psychology and law
Department:
Criminology, Law and Society
Department:
Psychology and Social Behavior Curriculum Vitae:
Elizabeth Loftus studies human memory. Her experiments reveal how memories can be changed by things that we are told. Facts, ideas, suggestions and other post-event information can modify our memories. The legal field, so reliant on memories, has been a significant application of the memory research. She is also interested in psychology and law, more generally.
CLICK ON LINKS BELOW TO SEE or DOWNLOAD SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
- Research Opportunities (Undergraduate)
- Center for Psychology & Law
- Elizabeth Loftus - Brief Biography
- Jane Doe Case - article by Tavris (2008)
- New Book (and OLD PHOTO) on Loftus life, work, and more.....
- Profile of Loftus in Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, 2005
- Article in LA Weekly by S. Abramsky, 2004, p 32-35
- Article in London Times by K. Sabbagh 2004
- Article About Loftus Research in OCRegister 2002
- William James Award & Acceptance Speech 2001
- My University of Washington Website (with more articles)
Translations of E. Loftus work
- Polish: Characters, Psychology Today, 2008
- Finnish: Science & Spirit, 2004
- Portuguese: Scientific American article 1997
- Portuguese: Memorias Ficticias 2006
Foreign language articles about Loftus work
- German: Scientific American (2004)
- German: NZZ Folio (2001)
Selected Publications
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS SINCE 2000
- Zhu, B., Chen, C. et al (2009) Treat and Trick: A new way to increase false memory. Applied Cognitive Psychology.
- Bernstein, D.M. & Loftus, E.F. (2009) The consequences of false memories for food preferences and choices. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 4, 135-139.
- Bernstein, D.M. & Loftus, E.F. (2009) How to tell if a particular memory is true or false. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 4, 370-374.
- Davis, D. & Loftus, E.F. (2009) Expectancies, emotion and memory reports of visual events. In J.R. Brockmole (Ed) The Visual World in Memory. Hove & NY: Psychology Press, p 178-214.
- Berkowitz, S.R., Laney, C., Morris, E.K., Garry, M., & Loftus, E.F. (2008) Pluto behaving badly: False beliefs and their consequences. American Journal of Psychology, 121, 643-660
- Geraerts, E., Bernstein, D.M., Merckelbach, H., Linders, C., Raymaekers, L., & Loftus, E.F. (2008) Lasting false beliefs and their behavioral consequences. Psychological Science, 19, 749-753.
- Laney, C., Bowman-Fowler, N., Nelson, K., Bernstein, D.M.,& Loftus, E.F. (2008) The persistence of false beliefs. Acta Psychologica
- Laney, C., Morris, E.K., Bernstein, D.M., Wakefield, B.M. & Loftus, E.F. (2008) Asparagus, a love story. Experimental Psychology, 55, 291-300.
- Laney, C. Kaasa, S., Morris, E.K., Berkowitz, S.R., Bernstein, D.M., & Loftus, E.F. (2008) The Red Herring technique. Psychological Research, 72, 362-375.
- Laney, C. & Loftus, E. F. (2008) Emotional content of true and false memories. Memory, 16, 500-516.
- Sharman et al (2008) False Memories for end of life decisions. Health Psychology. 27, 291-296.
- Sacchi, D., Agnoli, F., & Loftus, E.F. (2007) Changing History: Applied Cognitive Psychology, 21, 1005-1022.
- Davis, D., Loftus, E.F., Vanous, S., & Cucciare, M. (2008) “Unconscious Transference” Can Be an Instance of “Change Blindness.” Applied Cognitive Psychology. 22, 605-623
- Loftus, E. F. (2007) Elizabeth F. Loftus (Autobiography) In Lindzey, G. & Runyan, M. (Eds) History of Psychology in Autobiography Vol. IX Washington, DC: American Psychological Association Press. p 198-227.
- Davis, D. & Loftus, E.F. (2007) Internal and external sources of misinformation in adult witness memory. In M.P. Toglia, J.D. Read, D.F. Ross, & R.C.L. Lindsay (Eds). Handbook of eyewitness psychology (Vol l). Memory for events. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. p 195-237.
- Morgan, C. A. III, Hazlett, G., Baranoski, M., Doran, A., Southwick, S., & Loftus, E.F. (2007) Accuracy of eyewitness identification is significantly associated with performance on a standardized test of face recognition. International Journal of Law & Psychiatry, 30, 213-223.
- Thomas, A.K., Hannula, D.E., & Loftus, E.F. (2007) How self-relevant imagination affects memory for behavior. Applied Cogntive Psychology, 21, 69-86.
- Wade, K.A., Sharman, S.J., Garry, M., Memon, A., Mazzoni, G., Merckelbach, H., & Loftus, E.F. (2007) False claims about false memory research. Consciousness & Cognition, 16, 18-28.
- Loftus, E.F. & Davis, D. (2006) Recovered Memories. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology. 2, 469-498.
- Pizarro, D.A., Laney, C., Morris, E.K., & Loftus, E.F. (2006). Ripple effects in memory: Judgments of moral blame can distort memory for events. Memory & Cognition, 34, 550-555
- Schmechel, R.S., O’Toole, T. P., Easterly, C. & Loftus, E.F. (2006) Beyond the Ken: Testing Juror’s Understanding of eyewitness reliability evidence. Jurimetrics Journal, 46, 177-214.
- Braun-LaTour, K.A., LaTour, M.S. & Loftus, E.F. (2006) Is that a finger in my chili?: Using affective advertising for postcrisis brand repair. Cornell Hotel & Restaurant Administration Quarterly, 47, 2, 106-120.
- Morris, E.K., Laney, C., Bernstein, D.M., & Loftus, E.F. (2006) Susceptibility to memory distortion: How do we decide it has occurred? American Journal of Psychology. 119, 255-276.
- Croyle, R.T., Loftus, E.F., & Berger, S.D, Sun, Y, Hart, M., & Gettig, J.. (2006) How Well Do People Recall Risk Factor Test Results? Accuracy and Bias Among Cholesterol Screening Participants. Health Psychology, 25, 425-432.
- Davis, D., & Loftus, E.F. (2006) Psychologists in the forensic world. In Donaldson, et al. (Eds.). Applied psychology. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum., p 171-200.
- Bernstein, D.M., Laney, C., Morris, E.K. & Loftus, E.F.(2005) False beliefs about fattening foods can have healthy consequences. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 102, 13724-13731.
- Loftus, E. F. (2005) Planting misinformation in the human mind: A 30-year investigation of the malleability of memory. Learning and Memory, 12, 361-366.
- Loftus, E.F. & Bernstein, D. M. (2005). Rich False Memories. In A. F. Healy (Ed) Experimental Cognitive Psychology and its Applications. Washington DC: Amer Psych Assn Press, p 101-113.
- Bernstein, D.M., Laney, C., Morris, E.K. & Loftus, E.F. (2005) False memories about food can lead to food avoidance. Social Cognition, 23, 10-33.
- Loftus, E. F. (2005) Searching for the neurobiology of the misinformation effect. Learning & Memory, 12, 1-2
- Davis, D. & Loftus, E. F. (2005) Age and functioning in the legal system. In Y.I. Noy & W. Karwowski (Eds), Handbook of Forensic Human Factors in litigation. (pp 11-1 - 11-53). New York: CRC Press.
- Braun-LaTour, K. A., LaTour, M. S., Pickrell, J. & Loftus, E.F. (2004) How (and When) advertising can influence memory for consumer experience. Journal of Advertising. 33,7-25.
- Loftus, E. F. (2004) Dispatch from the (un) civil memory wars. Lancet, 364, 20-21.
- Bernstein, D. M., Godfrey, R., Davison, A., & Loftus, E. F. (2004) Conditions affecting the revelation effect for autobiographical memory. Memory & Cognition. 32, 455-462.
- Nourkova V.V., Bernstein D.M., Loftus E.F. (2004) Biography becomes autobiography: Distorting the subjective past. American Journal of Psychology, 117, 65-80.
- Loftus, E.F. (2004) Memories of Things Unseen. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 13, 145-147.
- Nourkova V.V., Bernstein D.M., Loftus E.F. (2004) Altering traumatic memories. Cognition & Emotion, 18, 575-585
- Kanter, J. W., Kohlenberg, R. J. & Loftus, E. F. (2004) Experimental and Psychotherapeutic Demand Characteristics and the Cognitive Therapy Rationale. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 28, 229-239.
- Loftus, E.F. (2003) Make-Believe Memories. American Psychologist, 58, 864-873
- Loftus, E. F. (2003) Our changeable memories: legal and practical implications. Nature Reviews: Neuroscience, 4, 231-234.
- Loftus, E.F. (2003, Fall) On science under legal assault. Daedalus (Journal of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences), 132, 84-86.
- Wells, G. L. & Loftus, E.F. (2003). Eyewitness memory for people and events. A. M. Goldstein (Ed.) Handbook of Psychology. Vol 11 Forensic Psychology (I.B. Weiner, Editor-in-Chief). New York: John Wiley & Sons, pp 149-160
- Thomas, A. K., Bulevich, J. B., & Loftus, E.F. (2003) Exploring the role of repetition and sensory elaboration in the imagination inflation effect. Memory & Cognition, 31, 630- 640.
- Loftus, E. F. (2003) Memory in Canadian Courts of Law. Canadian Psychology, 44, 207-212.
- Loftus, E. F. (2003) The Dangers of Memory. In R.J. Sternberg (Ed). Psychologists Defying the Crowd. Washington, D.C. American Psychological Association Press. Pp. 105-117.
- Loftus, E. F. (2002) Memory Faults and Fixes. Issues in Science & Technology (publication of the National Academies of Science), 18, # 4, pp 41-50.
- Braun, K.A., Ellis, R. & Loftus, E.F. (2002) Make My Memory. Psychology and Marketing, 19, 1-23.
- Bernstein, D. M., Whittlesea, B. W.A. & Loftus, E. F. (2002) Increasing confidence in remote autobiographical memory and general knowledge: Extensions of the revelation effect, Memory & Cognition, 30, 432-438.
- Loftus, E.F. & Guyer, M. (2002) Who Abused Jane Doe?: The Hazards of the Single Case History.Part I. Skeptical Inquirer, 26, 4-32.(and part II)
- Mazzoni, G.A.L., Loftus, E.F., Kirsch, I. (2001) Changing beliefs about implausible autobiographical events. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 7, 51-59
- Loftus, E.F. (2001) Imagining the Past. The Psychologist, 14, 584-587.
- Wright, D.B., Loftus, E.F. & Hall, M. (2001) Now you see it; Now you don?t; Inhibiting recall and recognition of scenes. Applied Cognitive Psychology, l5, 471-482.
- Loftus, E.F. & Calvin, W.C. (2001, April) Memory's future. Psychology Today, 34, p 55-58, 83
- Davis, D., Loftus, E.F., & Follette, W.C. (2001) How, when and whether to use informed consent for recovered memory therapy. Journal of American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 29, 148-159
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS FROM 1990-99
- Wright, D.B. & Loftus, E.F. (1999) Measuring dissociation. American Journal of Psychology, 112, 497-519.
- Mazzoni, G.A.L., Lombardo, P., Malvagia, S., & Loftus, E.F. (1999) Dream interpretation and false beliefs. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 30, 45-50.
- Braun, K.A. & Loftus, E.F. (1998) Advertising's misinformation effect. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 12, 569-591.
- Loftus, E.F. & Mazzoni, G.A.L. (1998) Using imagination and personalized suggestion to change people. Behavior Therapy, 29, 691-706.
- Loftus, E.F. (1998) Illusions of Memory. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, 142, 60-73.
- Loftus, E. F. (1997) Creating false memories. Scientific American, 277, 70-75.
- Garry, M., Manning, C., Loftus, E.F., & Sherman, S.J. (1996) Imagination Inflation: Imagining a childhood event inflates confidence that it occurred. Psychonomic Bulletin and Review, 3, 208-214.
- Loftus, E.F., Coan, J.A. & Pickrell, J.E. (1996) Manufacturing false memories using bits of reality. In L. M. Reder (Ed.) Implicit memory and metacognition. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, pp. 195-220.
- Loftus, E.F. & Pickrell, J.E. (1995) The formation of false memories. Psychiatric Annals, 25, 720-725.
- Loftus, E.F. (1993) The reality of repressed memories. American Psychologist, 48, 518-537
- Loftus, E.F. (1992) When a lie becomes memory?s truth. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 1, 121-123.
- Loftus, E.F., Levidow, B & Duensing, S. (1992) Who remembers best? Individual differences in memory for events that occurred in a science museum. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 6, 93-107.
- Loftus, E.F. (1991) Made in Memory: Distortions of recollection after misleading information. In G. Bower (Ed.) Psychology of Learning and Motivation, 27, 187-215. NY: Academic Press.
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SELECTED PUBLICATIONS FROM 1980-89
- Loftus, E.F. & Hoffman, H. G. (1989) Misinformation and memory. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 117, 100-104
- Bell, B. & Loftus, E.F. (1989). Trivial persuasion in the courtroom: The power of (a few) minor details. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 56, 669-679.
- Loftus, E.F., Banaji, M.R., Schooler, J.W., & Foster, R.A. (1987). Who remembers what? Gender differences in memory. Michigan Quarterly Review, 26, 64-85.
- Loftus, E.F., Loftus, G.R., & Messo, J. (1987). Some facts about weapon focus. Law and Human Behavior, 11, 55-62.
- Christianson, S. & Loftus, E.F. (1987). Memory for traumatic events. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 1, 225-239.
- Schooler, J.W., Gerhard, D., & Loftus, E.F. (1986). Qualities of the unreal. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition, 12, 171-181.
- Loftus, E.F. (1986). Ten years in the life of an expert witness. Law and Human Behavior, 10, 241-263. (Presidential Address, American Psychology-Law Society).
- Loftus, E.F., Fienberg, S.E., & Tanur, J.M. (1985). Cognitive psychology meets the national survey. American Psychologist, 40, 175-180.
- Loftus, E.F., Schooler, J.W., Loftus, G.R., & Glauber, D.T. (1985). Memory for events occurring under anesthesia. Acta Psychologica, 59, 123-128.
- Severance, L., Greene, E., & Loftus, E.F. (1984). Toward criminal jury instructions that jurors can understand. Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, 75, 198-233.
- Loftus, E.F. & Burns, T.E. (1982). Mental shock can produce retrograde amnesia. Memory and Cognition, 10, 318-323.
- Deffenbacher, K.A. & Loftus, E.F. (1982). Do jurors share a common understanding concerning eyewitness behavior? Law and Human Behavior, 6, 15-30.
- Loftus, E.F. (1982). Memory and its distortions. In A.G. Kraut (Ed.), G. Stanley Hall Lectures (pp. 123-154). Washington, DC: American Psychological Assn.
- Loftus, E.F. & Loftus, G.R. (1980). On the permanence of stored information in the human brain. American Psychologist, 35, 409-420.
- Loftus, E.F. & Greene, E. (1980). Warning: Even memory for faces may be contagious. Law and Human Behavior, 4, 323-334.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS BEFORE 1980
- Loftus, E.F. & Fries, J.F. (1979). Informed consent may be hazardous to your health. Science, 204, 11.
- Powers, P.A., Andriks, J.L., & Loftus, E.F. (1979). The eyewitness accounts of females and males. Journal of Applied Psychology, 64, 339-347.
- Loftus, E.F., Miller, D.G., & Burns, H.J. (1978). Semantic integration of verbal information into a visual memory. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Learning and Memory, 4, 19-31.
- Collins, A.M. & Loftus, E.F. (1975). A spreading activation theory of semantic processing. Psychological Review, 82, 407-428.
- Loftus, E.F. (1975). Leading questions and the eyewitness report. Cognitive Psychology, 7, 560-572.
- Loftus, E.F. & Palmer, J.C. (1974). Reconstruction of automobile destruction. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 13, 585-589.
- Loftus, E.F. & Suppes, P. (1972). Structural variables that determine the speed of retrieving words from long-term memory. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 11, 770-777.
- Freedman, J.L. & Loftus, E.F. (1971). Retrieval of words from long-term memory. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 10, 107-115.