False memories for a robbery in young and older adults

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to analyse memory performance in young and older adults based on a robbery scenario. The study examined free recall and the recognition of actions, people and details, as well as the Remember/Know/Guess judgements that accompanied recognition. Recognition was evaluated both immediately and 1 week later, although performance was not affected by the retention interval. In the free recall task, the older adults remembered less information than the younger adults but we found no differences between the two with regard to errors. Participants accepted more false actions, thus achieving higher recognition accuracy for people and details. They also categorized false alarms for actions more often as remember than as know or guess judgements. This pattern of results was more pronounced in the older adults, suggesting that aging is an important factor in false memories for events.

False Recognition and Source Attribution for Actions of an Emotional Event in Older and Younger Adults

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Bias of Script‐Driven Processing on Eyewitness Memory in Young and Older Adults

“…In other words, the greater willingness to respond might result not only in more false alarms but also in more hits or correct guesses on the part of the older adults, therefore reducing the size of age‐related difference in the recognition task. This tendency to accept information, true or false, is consistent with a bias for responding in studies that have examined recognition memory of witnessed events in young and older adults (Aizpurua et al, ; Pansky, Goldsmith, Koriat, & Pearlman‐Avnion, ).…”

Reducing misinformation effects in older adults with cognitive interview mnemonics.

“…Several other results were found to be age-related. First, the older adults recalled fewer correct details and were less complete in their recollections than the young adults, as reported by others (e.g., Aizpura et al, 2009; Brimacombe et al, 1997; Coxon & Valentine, 1997; Craik et al, 1987; List, 1986; Wright & Holliday, 2007a; Yarmey & Kent, 1980). Second, the type of interview influenced correct recollections.…”