Are children better witnesses than adolescents? Developmental trends in different false memory paradigms

Calado, Bruna; Otgaar, Henry; Muris, Peter

doi:10.1080/15379418.2019.1568948

Cited by 11 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…At this point, we cannot speak to the particular moderators that are likely to exist for false memory implantation for repeated events. Different types of false memories are not necessarily correlated (Calado et al, 2018;Falzarano & Siedlecki, 2019;Ost et al, 2013, Zhu et al, 2013. Despite being elicited via the same method (i.e., lost-in-the-mall-paradigm), it could be the case that false memories for repeated events and false memories for single events are elicited due to distinct mechanisms.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Implanting false autobiographical memories for repeated events

Calado

Luke

Connolly

et al. 2021

Memory

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Research to date has exclusively focused on the implantation of false memories for single events. The current experiment is the first proof of concept that false memories can be implanted for repeated autobiographical experiences using an adapted false memory implantation paradigm. We predicted that false memory implantation approaches for repeated events would generate fewer false memories compared to the classic implantation method for single events. We assigned students to one of three implantation conditions in our study: Standard, Repeated, and Gradual. Participants underwent three interview sessions with a 1week interval between sessions. In the Standard condition, we exposed participants to a single-event implantation method in all three interviews. In the Repeated condition, participants underwent a repeated-event implantation method in the three interviews. The Gradual condition also consisted of a repeated-event implantation method, however, in the first interview alone, we suggested to participants that they had experienced the false narrative once. Surprisingly, within our sample, false memories rates in the Standard condition were not higher compared to the Repeated and Gradual conditions. Although sometimes debated, our results imply that false memories for repeated events can be implanted in lab conditions, likely with the same ease as false memories for single events.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Implanting false autobiographical memories for repeated events

Calado

Luke

Connolly

et al. 2021

Memory

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“…The implications of this review should be drawn with care, however, because spontaneous false memories as induced by the DRM paradigm are typically weakly related or even unrelated to false memories induced by suggestion (e.g., D. M. Bernstein, Scoboria, Desjarlais, & Soucie, 2018; Calado, Otgaar, & Muris, 2019; Nichols & Loftus, 2019; Ost et al, 2013; Otgaar & Candel, 2011; Patihis, Frenda, & Loftus, 2018; Zhu, Chen, Loftus, Lin, & Dong, 2013). So, although psychopathology seems to be related to an increased vulnerability for spontaneous false-memory production, this does not necessarily imply that it is also linked to an increased susceptibility to suggestion-induced false memories.…”

Section: Psychotherapeutic Techniques Memory Distortions and Other mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Return of the Repressed: The Persistent and Problematic Claims of Long-Forgotten Trauma

Otgaar

Howe

Patihis

et al. 2019

Perspect Psychol Sci

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121

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Can purely psychological trauma lead to a complete blockage of autobiographical memories? This long-standing question about the existence of repressed memories has been at the heart of one of the most heated debates in modern psychology. These so-called memory wars originated in the 1990s, and many scholars have assumed that they are over. We demonstrate that this assumption is incorrect and that the controversial issue of repressed memories is alive and well and may even be on the rise. We review converging research and data from legal cases indicating that the topic of repressed memories remains active in clinical, legal, and academic settings. We show that the belief in repressed memories occurs on a nontrivial scale (58%) and appears to have increased among clinical psychologists since the 1990s. We also demonstrate that the scientifically controversial concept of dissociative amnesia, which we argue is a substitute term for memory repression, has gained in popularity. Finally, we review work on the adverse side effects of certain psychotherapeutic techniques, some of which may be linked to the recovery of repressed memories. The memory wars have not vanished. They have continued to endure and contribute to potentially damaging consequences in clinical, legal, and academic contexts.

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“…Many studies have observed a developmental reversal of the DRM effect, where false memories are higher for young adults compared to children (e.g., Brainerd et al, 1995 , 2004 ; Dewhurst and Robinson, 2004 ; Howe et al, 2004 ; Howe, 2005 ; Lampinen et al, 2006 ; Dewhurst et al, 2007 ; Anastasi and Rhodes, 2008 ; Calado et al, 2019 ). Fuzzy Trace Theory predicts that false memories will increase with age, because children have yet to develop the same extensive level of semantic networks that adults possess ( Brainerd et al, 2006 ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Trajectory of Targets and Critical Lures in the Deese/Roediger–McDermott Paradigm: A Systematic Review

et al. 2021

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The Deese/Roediger–McDermott (DRM) paradigm has been used extensively to examine false memory. During the study session, participants learn lists of semantically related items (e.g., pillow, blanket, tired, bed), referred to as targets. Critical lures are items which are also associated with the lists but are intentionally omitted from study (e.g., sleep). At test, when asked to remember targets, participants often report false memories for critical lures. Findings from experiments using the DRM show the ease with which false memories develop in the absence of suggestion or misinformation. Given this, it is important to examine factors which influence the generalizability of the findings. One important factor is the persistence of false memory, or how long false memories last. Therefore, we conducted a systemic review to answer this research question: What is the persistence of false memory for specific items in the DRM paradigm? To help answer this question our review had two research objectives: (1) to examine the trajectory of target memory and false memory for critical lures and (2) to examine whether memory for targets exceeded false memory for critical lures. We included empirical articles which tested memory for the same DRM lists with at least two testing sessions. We discuss the results with respect to single-session delays, long-term memory recall and recognition, remember and know judgments for memory, and the effect of development, valence, warning, and connectivity on the trajectory of memory. Overall, the trajectory of targets showed a relatively consistent pattern of decrease across delay. The trajectory of critical lures was inconsistent. The proportion of targets versus critical lures across delay was also inconsistent. Despite the inconsistencies, we conclude that targets and critical lures have a dissimilar trajectory across delay and that critical lures are more persistent than targets. The findings with respect to long-term recall and recognition are consistent with both Fuzzy Trace Theory and Associative-Activation Theory of the DRM effect. The generation of false memory with brief delays (3–4 s) is better explained by Associative-Activation Theory. Examining the connectivity between target items, and critical lures, and the effect that has during study and retrieval, can provide insight into the persistence of false memory for critical lures.

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Are children better witnesses than adolescents? Developmental trends in different false memory paradigms

Cited by 11 publications

References 55 publications

Implanting false autobiographical memories for repeated events

Implanting false autobiographical memories for repeated events

The Return of the Repressed: The Persistent and Problematic Claims of Long-Forgotten Trauma

The Trajectory of Targets and Critical Lures in the Deese/Roediger–McDermott Paradigm: A Systematic Review

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