What is the process of altering or creating false memories for events never experienced?

The process of altering or creating false memories for events never experienced is most accurately described by suggestion. Suggestion refers to the way information provided after an event can influence an individual's memory of that event, leading them to remember things that did not occur or to modify their recollections of actual events. This is a significant area of study within cognitive psychology, particularly concerning how eyewitness testimonies can be affected by misleading information or leading questions.

When a person is suggested certain details about an event, these can seep into their memory, leading to the formation of what we call false memories. Such memories can feel vividly real to the individual, despite being fabricated or distorted. This mechanism has been widely documented through various studies demonstrating how suggestive questioning or misleading comments can alter a person's recollection of prior experiences.

Other options like imagination, overgeneralization, and misremembering do not capture this specific process of suggestion and its implications in memory distortion as effectively. Imagination may involve creating a mental picture or scenario but does not necessarily imply that those images become part of one’s memory as fact. Overgeneralization refers to applying a general rule too broadly, while misremembering typically involves incorrect recall of memories rather than the implantation of new, false memories through suggestion.