Elizabeth Loftus

American psychologist best known in relation to the misinformation effect, false memory and criticism of recovered memory therapies. Her research includes the effects of phrasing on the perceptions of automobile accidents, the "lost in the mall" technique and the manipulation of food preferences through the use of false memories. In 2022, Loftus made the list of the world’s top female scientists.

In the Jane Doe case that began in 1997, Loftus and Melvin J. Guyer revealed serious concerns about the background and validity of the initial research. She has also served on the executive council of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and was a keynote speaker at the British Psychological Society's 2011 annual conference.

As well as her scientific work, Loftus has provided expert testimony or consultation for lawyers in over 300 court cases, including for the legal teams of Ghislaine Maxwell, Harvey Weinstein, Ted Bundy, O.J. Simpson, Angelo Buono, and Robert Durst. She has also written many books, including The Myth of Repressed Memory: False Memories & Allegations of Sexual Abuse and Witness for the Defense.

Loftus grew up in a Jewish family in Bel Air, California. Her father (Sidney Fishman) was a doctor and her mother (Rebecca Fishman) a librarian. When Loftus was 14 years old, her mother drowned. From 1968 to 1991, Elizabeth was married to fellow psychologist Geoffrey Loftus.