Chrzanowski,
Conrad (8/09) The effects of memory encoding and levels of processing on false
memories and memory confidence (Gary Kose, Ph.D.; Rhianon Allen, Ph.D.; Howard
Mcguire, Ph.D.)
The processes underlying the generation of
false memories have received renewed interest over the last 15 years in
cognitive psychology. Research has shown that false memories can be generated
by the negative suggestion effect; an effect whereby exposure to incorrect
information within examination questions causes people to later misremember the
incorrect information as true. Memory confidence is implicated in the transfer
of information from incorrect to correct. Eighty participants learned passages,
took a multiple-choice test, completed a 5 minute filler task, and took a cued-recall
task. A 2 x 2 x 3 mixed model MANOVA was used to see whether manipulations of
encoding (i.e., verbatim vs. gist) and levels of processing (i.e., write vs.
recall) would reduce the negative suggestion effect, increase memory accuracy,
and increase accurate memory confidence. Results showed that verbatim encoding
significantly increased memory accuracy regardless of the level of processing.
No significant interactions were found between the independent variables and
memory confidence. Discussion includes implications of these results and
directions for future research.
