False Memory

Question 1

Definition

Answer 1

• Memory is reconstructive
• Sometimes we may remember things that never actually happened
• Can be as confident in them as real memories
• Unaware of how unreliabke memory is + overconfident with accuracy

Question 2

Overconfidence

Answer 2

• Intentional blindness –> failure to perceive appearance of unexpected objects in visual env
• Change blindness –> failure to detect changes in an object
• Change blindness blindness –> exaggerated belief can detect changes + avoid change blidness
• Levin et al (2002) –> no ppts detected any changes
• Lourssouman, Gabriel + Proust (2011)

Question 3

Factors limiting eyewitness’ accuracy - Confirmation bias

Answer 3

• Distortions of memory caused by the influence of expectations concerning what is likely to have happened
  Lindholm + Christianson (1998) - video of robbery perpertrator was light or dark skinned, eyewitness shown photos of men, more likely to select innocent immigrant (overrepresentation in swedish crime stats due to stereotypes)

Question 4

Factors limiting eyewitness accuracy - Cog abilities and personality

Answer 4

• Zhu et al (2010) - indivs with better cog abilities resist misinfo better
• Personality characteristics (cooperativeness/harm avoidance have an effect on false memories)
• Effect was greater in subjects with low intelligence

Question 5

Eyewitness Testimony - Schema driven errors

Answer 5

• Witnesses to crimes filter info during acquisition to recall
• Schematic understanding may influence how info is stored + retrieved
• Distortions may occur without witness realising: previous experiences, assumptions, stereotypes

Question 6

Theory: Origin of false memories

Answer 6

• Source misattribution - memory of exact source of the info becomes confused
• Processing fluency - ease with which something is processed or comes to mind

Question 7

Garry + Gerrie (2005) - Theory - Origins of false memories study

Answer 7

• People tend to trust photos (Wade 2002)
• When confuse photos with genuine experience = source confusion (Johnson, Hashtrodi + Lindsay 1993)
• Narratives elicit more false memories than photos (Garry + Wade, 2005)
• Narratives allow subjects to generate own details about event
• Even true photos can lead people to remember false events (Lindsay et al)

Question 8

Theory: Origins of False memories - Evaluation of Garry + Wade (2004)

Answer 8

• Flaws in rationale - lack multiple events to investigate, lack stats reported
• Confounds = demographuc characteristics, cog abilities, personality
• Method improved = investigate multipke events, report appropriate stat, control confounds

Question 9

Theory: Origins of False memories - Garry + Wade (2005)

Answer 9

• Investigated whether false photos or narratives were more effective at creating false memories
• Allocated to false ohoto or false narrative condition + exposed to 3 real events + 1 fake
• Subjects attended 3 interviews, 1 for free recall + others to report additional details
• Narrative subjects more likely to generate false info about events vs photo
• Findings support fluency account of flase memory dev

Question 10

Theory: Origins of False memories - Garry + Wade (2005) evaluation

Answer 10

• Flaws in rationale: not enough events to compare
• Use within-subject
• Confounds: demographic, cog abilities, cahracteristics
• Method imptroved: measured multiple events, within-subject, control confounds