Chapter 8-Memory Errors Pt. 2

Question 1

Schema

Answer 1

Knowledge about some aspects of the environment

Question 2

Script

Answer 2

Conception of sequence of actions that usually occurs during a particular experience

Question 3

Schemas and scripts _______

Answer 3

Influence memory

• memory can include information not actually experienced but inferred because it is expected and consistent with the schema
• the constructive nature of memory can lead to errors or “false memories”

Question 4

Script experiment

Answer 4

• Bower et al.
• showed that participants added some actions that were not mentioned when they read a passage (for e.g. check in with receptionist in the dentist office)

Question 5

Coglab: false memory

Answer 5

• no way to assess memory accuracy without objective evidence
• the vividness or confidence of the person recalling the memory is not an accurate indication of the truth
• experiment biases people to recall things that did not occur
• a sequence of words is presented and the observer has to classify the set of words as either being seen or not in the sequence

Question 6

Coglab false memory results

Answer 6

Recalled words from original list 79% of time, unrelated distractors (not in list) 3% and related distractor ( it in list) 69%

Results in false memory (you most likely thought about the distractor word as list was being shown and at test you have a memory of thinking about the word but thought it was because it was presented rather than realizing you just thought about the word)

In some cases, people will report that they vividly recall seeing the word despite their inaccuracy-think pin/needle

Question 7

Does coglab on false memory work well even when subjects know what the experiment is about

Answer 7

Yes

Question 8

Advantages of construction of memories

Answer 8

• Allows us to fill in the blanks
• cognition is creative and allows us to:

Understand language
Solve problems
Make decisions

Question 9

Disadvantages of construction of memories

Answer 9

• sometimes we make errors

- sometimes we misattribute the source of info: was it actually presented, or did we infer it?

Question 10

Misinformation effect

Answer 10

Misleading information presented after a person witnesses an event can change how that person describes the event later

-misleading postevent information (MPI)

Question 11

Loftus and coworkers (post even experiment)

Answer 11

Shown slides of traffic accident with stop sign

Post event questions:

• introduce MPI: yield sign instead of the stop sign (did another car pass the red car while it was stopped at the yield sign)
• Not introduce MPI: did another car pass the red car while it was stopped at the stop sign

Question 12

Loftus and Palmer (power of suggestion)

Answer 12

• subjects watched a film of a car crash
• asked what is speed when red car hits/smashed blue car
• those hearing “smashed” said cars were going much faster than those who heard “hit”

-power of suggestion

Question 13

Reasons explaining power of suggestion

Answer 13

1. Retroactive interference
   - more recent learning interferes with memory for something in the past
   - original memory trace is not replaced (just can’t retrieve it)
2. Source monitoring error
   - failure to distinguish the source of the info
   - MPI is misattributed to the original source

Question 14

Lindsey (1990)

Answer 14

-participants heard a story with female narrator

Difficult condition: female narrator gives MPI right after story is heard. Memory test two days later (27% MPI). Had no time to finish consolidation & same voices created source monitoring error

Easy condition: two days later a male narrator gives MPI and then participants complete memory test (13% MPI)

Question 15

Hyman and coworkers

Answer 15

• participants had conversations about experiences with experimenter (true events); experimenter added new events (false events)
• participants said “no clue” about the new events
• when discussing it 2 days later, participants remembered the new events as actually happening

Another example of source monitoring error

Participants felt familiar with false event in the second time, so they accepted it as having actually happened

Similar to become famous experiment

Question 16

Lindsay et al

Answer 16

Reported that participants who were given the narrative of the false event together with a true old photograph recalled more false memories than participants who were not given the pictures

Question 17

Wade and coworkers

Answer 17

Hot balloon experiment

Photoshopped image onto balloon

Question 18

Errors in eyewitness testimony

Answer 18

Can be inaccurate

• mistaken identity
• constructive nature of memory

Question 19

Wells and Bradfield

Answer 19

• participants view security videotape with gunman in view for 8 sec
• everyone identified someone as the gunman from photographs afterwards
• actual gunman’s picture was not presented

Question 20

Errors due to attention and arousal

Answer 20

• attention can be narrowed by specific stimuli
• weapon focus
• Stanny and Johnson

Presence of a weapon that was fired is associated with a decrease in memory about the perpetrator and the victim and the weapon

Question 21

Ross et al. Experiment on the effect of familiarity on eyewitness testimony

Answer 21

Experimental group: view film of a male teacher reading to students

Control: view film of female teacher reading to students

View film of female teacher being robbed

Test: when only male teacher picture present (not robber) experimental group more likely to pick him. When both are present, likelihood of picking male teacher dec

Question 22

Suggestive questioning

Answer 22

When identifying the perpetrator of a crime from a lineup, the officer Said “which one of these men did it” implying that the perpetrator was in the lineup

Confirming feedback: after recognition, the officer said “OK” implying the pickup is correct (increases confidence level rating)

Question 23

Confidence in ones memory may be increased by

Answer 23

Post event questioning

May make memories easier to retrieve

Question 24

Reverse testing effect

Answer 24

Review slide

Question 25

Cognitive interview

Answer 25

- inform witness perpetrator might not be in lineup - use “fillers” in lineup similar to suspect - use sequential presentation (not simultaneous) - improve interviewing techniques

Question 26

Music and odor elicited autobiographical memories

Answer 26

Average number of perceptual details in memories is greater for memories elicited by listening to music versus memories elicited by looking at pictures of faces

Question 27

El Haj et al. Experiment

Answer 27

Showed normal control participants had better autobiographical memory than Alzheimer’s patients and that Alzheimer’s patients autobiographical memory was enhanced by listening to music that was meaningful to them