Introduction & False/Recovered Memory

Question 1

What are the 3 key requirements for calling a memory “recovered”?

Answer 1

1. Reality of event
2. Reality of forgetting
3. Reality of recovering

Question 2

What is recovered memory?

Answer 2

The reappearance in consciousness of memories for past events after a period during which these memories were not accessible.

Question 3

What is False Memory Syndrome?

Answer 3

The systematic creation of memories for events which never in fact occurred.

Question 4

How are false memories created?

Answer 4

As a result of careless use of “memory work” during psychotherapy.

Question 5

In Roedinger & McDermott’s (1995) Experiment 1, what was the overall probability of recalling an item that was on the list? But… What was the mean overall probability of recalling a critical item that WASN’T on the list?

Answer 5

65%. 40%.

Question 6

What would it be known as if a participant reacted ‘Yes’ to a new item?

Answer 6

False alarm

Question 7

What would it be known as if a participant reacted ‘No’ to a new item?

Answer 7

Correct rejection

Question 8

What would it be known as if a participant reacted ‘Yes’ to an old item?

Answer 8

Hit

Question 9

What would it be known as if a participant reacted ‘No’ to an old item?

Answer 9

Miss

Question 10

What was the mean hit rate for items that were on the list in Roedinger & McDermott’s Experiment 1?

Answer 10

86%

Question 11

What was the mean false alarm rate for items that weren’t on the list in Roedinger & McDermott’s Experiment 1?

Answer 11

84%

Question 12

What did Roedinger & McDermott do in Experiment 2? What was the mean probability of recalling the critical item that wasn’t on the list?

Answer 12

They used longer lists and more of them (16 lists, each of 15 items).

Participants attempted recall for only half the lists (but attempted recognition for all 16 lists).

55%.

Question 13

What are remember and know items?

Answer 13

Remember: Participants have a vivid memory for the actual presentation of the item.

Know: Participants are sure they were on the list but don’t actually have a memory for the moment of hearing the word.

Question 14

What is the name of the paradigm that predicted the formation of false memories being easy?

Answer 14

DRM paradigm (Deese–Roediger–McDermott)

Question 15

What 3 questions did Freyd & Gleaves (1996) raise about false memories and the DRM paradigm?

Answer 15

1.Are words presented in a list really events?

2. If false memories for Childhood Sexual Abuse are not close associates of things that actually happened, how is DRM relevant?
3. Can we generalise from artificial laboratory studies to meaningful events in the real world?

Question 16

What was the method of Loftus & Pickrell’s (1995) “Lost in a Shopping Mall” experiment? What were the results?

Answer 16

Participants: 24 students and their parent/older sibling.

Materials: 4 short stories about events from the student’s childhood provided by the parent or older sibling. 3 of the stories are true, the 4th is a lie of being lost for a long time in a mall aged 5. Parents/siblings confirm that no such event actually occurred.

Procedure: Students first fill in a questionnaire booklet that describes what they can remember about each event. They are then interviewed by a psychologist 1 to 2 weeks later about each event, and interviewed again a further 1 to 2 weeks later.

Results: 7 of the 24 students accepted the false memory, and 6 of them maintained it at interview. When debriefed, 19 of the 24 identified the false story.