Glossary
Telescoping Effect
What is the telescoping effect?
The telescoping effect, also called time telescoping, is misremembering when an event occurred. Forward telescoping places it more recently than it happened. Backward telescoping places it farther in the past.
Examples
A vacation may feel more recent than its actual date. A dinner from last week may be remembered as longer ago. These illustrate the two directions, rather than rules that every memory follows.
Why dates can shift
Rubin and Baddeley's model combines forgetting, growing uncertainty about dates, and the boundaries of the period a question asks about.
Surveys and everyday recall
Questions about the last medical appointment, purchase, or vote depend on remembering timing as well as the event. A mistaken date can move an event inside or outside the requested reporting period.
Why it matters
Remembering what happened is not the same as remembering when. Check dates against available records when timing matters.