Conflation

Conflation is the act of combining two or more distinct concepts, events, persons, or texts into a single entity or idea, thereby obscuring or erasing differences between them. The term is used across disciplines to describe when separate items are treated as if they were one, with resulting loss of nuance and accuracy.

In language, conflation can occur when two senses or terms are treated as interchangeable. In biography or history, it happens when individuals with similar names or parallel roles are merged into a single narrative. In memory and cognition, people may recall details from different events as if they came from one experience, a phenomenon linked to false memories and misinformation. In data management and information systems, conflation refers to the inadvertent merging of distinct records or the misattribution of data to a single source, which can distort analyses. In journalism and public discourse, conflating related but distinct issues (such as policy goals and political ideologies) can mislead audiences.

Consequences of conflation include misinterpretation, faulty conclusions, misattribution, and impaired decision-making. It can undermine scholarly analysis, distort public understanding, and compromise data integrity. To prevent conflation, careful definition of terms, precise identifiers, and thorough source verification are essential. Disambiguation methods, clear contextualization, and separate handling of distinct entities help preserve accuracy in writing, research, and data integration. Awareness of cognitive biases that encourage blending rather than distinguishing details is also important.