Final answer:
Confabulation is the tendency to invent stories to cover memory gaps.
Step-by-step explanation:
Confabulation, as defined by Russian psychiatrist Korsakoff, is the tendency to invent stories to cover memory gaps. It is not a defense mechanism, a process of generating random thoughts, or a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Confabulation can occur when a person's memory is impaired, and they try to fill in the gaps by creating false information or anecdotes.