Is Deceitful Autobiographical Memory Really Forgotten?

This article investigates whether reminding individuals of their past deceitful (amoral), moral, or neutral autobiographical memories influences their subsequent dishonest behavior and how the phenomenological characteristics of these memories differ. In Experiment 1, using a modified Flappy Bird game paradigm with 170 university students, participants who recalled deceitful or neutral memories showed a significant increase in dishonest reporting (deceit scores), whereas those reminded of moral memories did not, suggesting moral memory reminders may deter dishonesty. Experiment 2, involving 136 participants completing the Autobiographical Memory Characteristics Questionnaire (AMCQ) across moral, amoral, and neutral memory prompts, found no significant phenomenological differences between moral and amoral memories except for emotional valence; both differed significantly from neutral memories. These findings challenge prior theories of unethical amnesia and suggest that small-scale everyday dishonest behaviors and moral behaviors share similar memory characteristics, highlighting complexities in the relationship between memory, morality, and deceitful behavior.