In a study, researchers tell a participant a plausible but entirely fabricated story about being lost in a shopping mall as a child. A family member, collaborating with the researchers, confirms the story is true. Weeks later, the participant not only believes the event occurred but also describes vivid, specific details, such as the color of the shirt worn by the person who found them and their own feelings of panic. What does this outcome most strongly suggest about the nature of human memory?