recall bias

Recall bias occurs when people remember past events or experiences differently based on their current feelings or beliefs, which can distort research findings. For example, someone with a health concern might better remember certain symptoms than someone without those concerns. This imperfect memory can lead to inaccuracies in studies that rely on individuals’ recollections, affecting the validity of the results. Essentially, recall bias is a type of error that happens because people's memories aren't always precise, especially when trying to recall details from the distant past.