Virtual Reality Creates False Memories?

Recently, I read an interpretation of a study that discusses interesting delusions our brains manufacture while playing in the virtual world. In this study published in the Journal of Consumer Research, December 2006, Ann Schlosser writes that the brain is more likely to create “false memories” (should they even be called that?) about a product when a website description includes an interactive demo. Anne points out that if people believe some feature or function exists about a product (in this case a digital camera) because of a virtual experience, this may lead to post-purchase dissatisfaction. I think it’s certainly a valid concern marketers should think about. However, the conclusion poses many questions.

What is a false memory?
Is a “false memory” a false memory recalled or a false memory created?” People rarely recall word for word, feature by feature about anything. Eyewitness testimony has been deemed unreliable. The questionnaire used in this study to test “false memories” reminded me of one test from hell I experienced in college.
They test questions were written something like this:
“…the answer to this question is:”
a. blah
b. blah blah
c. blah blah blah
d. blah and blah blah
e. blah and blah blah blah
Whatever! Impossible! (I hated that teacher.) How exact must one know the subject matter to be able to accurately choose a correct answer among similar, possible or likely truths? It’s manipulative! One second guesses himself; he thinks, “Well, I know for sure a. is true. But I can’t quite remember if b. is true, but it sounds familiar. So, could c. be correct? Or is it e.? I’m 100 percent sure that a. is correct but only 60% b or c is correct?" The ability to differentiate terminology or specific details has to be lower when presented in such a confusing way. The human memory simply does not work this well unless maybe the person understands the subject on an expert level. Creating suggestive features about a product that were not real but sounded like they could be real shouldn’t imply one would feel deprived post-purchase.

Could it be people were more taken or impressed with an interactive demo, therefore simply favored additional feature suggestions verses ever thinking they existed in the first place? Don’t people get more excited watching an explosion verses reading about it?

The conclusion from this study, as it is, is ambiguous. The experiment should continue forward by testing whether a higher level of customer dissatisfaction occurs when a purchaser used an interactive demo before purchase. Truly, this will satisfy the notion that people received a product they thought would perform better versus thinking a feature exists only when it was suggested.