Elizabeth Loftus

Elizabeth F. Loftus is an American cognitive psychologist and expert on human memory. She has conducted research on the malleability of human memory. Loftus is best known for her work on the misinformation effect and eyewitness memory, and the creation and nature of false memories, including recovered memories of childhood sexual abuse. As well as her work inside the laboratory, Loftus has been involved in applying her research to legal settings; she has consulted or provided expert witness testimony for hundreds of cases. In 2002, Loftus was ranked 58th in the Review of General Psychology's list of the 100 most influential psychological researchers of the 20th century, and was the highest ranked woman on the list.