In 1974, Elizabeth Loftus and John Palmer showed students films of car crashes, then asked how fast the cars were going when they “smashed into” or merely “contacted” each other. “Smashed” drew an average estimate of almost 41 mph; “contacted,” about 32 mph. A week later, 32% of the “smashed” group remembered seeing broken glass, versus 14% of those asked about cars that “hit.” There was none. But this classic has never been replicated at scale, and a 2025 attempt with 446 people found no effect of the verb.
Remembering is not replaying a recording — it is rebuilding. Each time you recall a memory, it becomes temporarily malleable and can be altered before being stored again. That is why two people can sincerely remember the same event… differently.
In 2003, Johnson and Goldstein compared European countries. Where you must tick a box to become a donor, consent rates ranged from 4% to 28%. Where you're a donor by default unless you opt out, they topped 85%. People aren't more generous on one side; most simply stick with whatever option was chosen for them.