memory systems and false memory Flashcards
what is false memory
either remembering events that never happened, or remembering them quite diff from the way they happened” (Roediger & McDermott, 1995, p.803)
Roediger & McDermott (1995)
experiment 1 false mem for related prototype words
6 lists of 12 words were presented auditorially (1 word per 1.5s) followed by free recall of each list
Then saw a list of words and p’s rated confidence each word was on list (1-4)
Lists were composed of 12 related words linked by an omitted prototype word
Examining recall of unstudied ‘critical lure’ (e.g. ‘chair’)
Roediger & McDermott 1995 experiment 1 results on recall of unstudied critical lure
Free recall produced a typical serial position curve
Recall of studied words = 0.6
Recall of unrelated (non-studied) words = 0.14
Recall of critical (non-studied word) = 0.40
False memory effect not due to guessing
58% of p’s used highest confidence rating (4 = sure that the item was old) for the non-studied critical lure
Whereas 80% of non-studied unrelated words received the lowest confidence rating (1 = sure it was new)
false memory in forensic settings
false memory from witnesses can result in a conviction
Loftus and Palmer estimating impact speeds following different words
found greater speed estimated for smashed than contacted
found those hearing smashed or hit reported broken glass
loftus study on memory malleability using leading questions
film of car on country road,
17% misleading Q reported seeing barn
3% control Q
loftus & pickrell 1995 on creating false mems using childhood stories of being lost
found 68% recall of true events and 29% recall of false events
foudn true mems more clear and more words using when recalling them
Hyman Husband and Billing 1995 on 3 true stories of being lost and 1 false
found no false mems recalled in 1st interview and 20% in 2nd interview
some p’s elaborated in false memories
