Memory Can Define Individual Beliefs and Identity—and Shape Society

Abstract

Memory profoundly define individual beliefs and identity, shaping how societies make decisions. Five key memory phenomena include—first impressions and the primacy effect, risky decision-making and memory availability, information reliability and source memory, music preferences and the reminiscence bump, and long-term planning and episodic future thinking. Each phenomenon is explored for its impact on policy, revealing the profound ways that memory biases and processes shape critical societal choices, such as judicial decisions, hiring practices, financial planning, and pro-environmental behavior. Although memory's importance in daily life is widely recognized, its central role in shaping self-identity and influencing societal structures is often underestimated. Memory biases, evident in various aspects, from cultural exposures to decision-making heuristics, play a pivotal role in individual and collective behavior. These biases, often manifesting subtly, guide the formation of beliefs and preferences, with strong implications for policy making. Taken together, this work advocates for a multidisciplinary approach to bridge memory theory and policy practice.