Looking for answers in all the wrong places: How testing facilitates learning of misinformation

Gordon, Leamarie T.; Thomas, Ayanna K.; Bulevich, John B.

doi:10.1016/j.jml.2015.03.007

Cited by 27 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 28 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…These observations fit well with prior findings that reactivating or retrieving memories can be a potent source of memory distortion if novel information is incorporated into a memory during the retrieval process (e.g., Chan, Thomas, & Bulevich, 2009; Gerschman, Schapiro, Hupbach, Norman, 2013; Gordon, Thomas, & Bulevich, 2015; Hupbach et al, 2007; Hupbach, Gomez, & Nadel, 2011; St. Jacques, Olm, & Schacter, 2013; St.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Flexible retrieval: When true inferences produce false memories.

Carpenter¹,

Schacter²

2017

Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cogni

105

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Episodic memory involves flexible retrieval processes that allow us to link together distinct episodes, make novel inferences across overlapping events, and recombine elements of past experiences when imagining future events. However, the same flexible retrieval and recombination processes that underpin these adaptive functions may also leave memory prone to error or distortion, such as source misattributions in which details of one event are mistakenly attributed to another related event. To determine whether the same recombination-related retrieval mechanism supports both successful inference and source memory errors, we developed a modified version of an associative inference paradigm in which participants encoded everyday scenes comprised of people, objects, and other contextual details. These scenes contained overlapping elements (AB, BC) that could later be linked to support novel inferential retrieval regarding elements that had not appeared together previously (AC). Our critical experimental manipulation concerned whether contextual details were probed before or after the associative inference test, thereby allowing us to assess whether a) false memories increased for successful versus unsuccessful inferences, and b) any such effects were specific to after as compared to before participants received the inference test. In each of four experiments that used variants of this paradigm, participants were more susceptible to false memories for contextual details after successful than unsuccessful inferential retrieval, but only when contextual details were probed after the associative inference test. These results suggest that the retrieval-mediated recombination mechanism that underlies associative inference also contributes to source misattributions that result from combining elements of distinct episodes.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Flexible retrieval: When true inferences produce false memories.

Carpenter¹,

Schacter²

2017

Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cogni

105

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…An important area for future research will be to determine when initial testing is likely to have protective (PET) versus harmful (RES) effects on memory. One determining factor appears to be whether the initial test directs attention towards misinformation, which can increase encoding of misinformation (Gordon & Thomas, 2014; Gordon et al, 2015). To date, the PET pattern has only been tested with additive misinformation, whereas the RES pattern has only been tested following contradictory misinformation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Whether initial testing yields a RES pattern or PET pattern may thus be contingent, in part, on how the initial test shapes the learning of subsequent misinformation (Gordon, Thomas, & Bulevich, 2015). For example, Gordon and Thomas (2014) found evidence that initial testing directs attention to misleading details within the post-event information (see also Tousignant, Hall, & Loftus, 1986).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Reducing the Misinformation Effect Through Initial Testing: Take Two Tests and Recall Me in the Morning?

Huff

Weinsheimer

Bodner

2015

Applied Cognitive Psychology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

SummaryInitial retrieval of an event can reduce people's susceptibility to misinformation. We explored whether protective effects of initial testing could be obtained on final free recall and source‐monitoring tests. After studying six household scenes (e.g., a bathroom), participants attempted to recall items from the scenes zero, one, or two times. Immediately or after a 48‐hour delay, non‐presented items (e.g., soap and toothbrush) were exposed zero, one, or four times through a social contagion manipulation in which participants reviewed sets of recall tests ostensibly provided by other participants. A protective effect of testing emerged on a final free recall test following the delay and on a final source‐memory test regardless of delay. Taking two initial tests did not increase these protective effects. Determining whether initial testing will have protective (versus harmful) effects on memory has important practical implications for interviewing eyewitnesses. © 2015 The Authors. Applied Cognitive Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

show abstract

“…For example, taking a test increases learners' expectation that they will be tested again in the near future (Weinstein et al, 2014). Perhaps partly because of this increased test expectancy, when learners were allowed to self-regulate their study duration, those who received interpolated tests spent longer to study new information than those who did not (Gordon & Thomas, 2014;Gordon, Thomas, & Bulevich, 2015;Yang, Potts, & Shanks, 2017).…”

Section: A Strategy Change Perspective Of Test-potentiated New Learningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Testing potentiates new learning across a retention interval and a lag: A strategy change perspective

Chan

Manley

Davis

et al. 2018

Journal of Memory and Language

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Practicing retrieval on previously studied materials can potentiate subsequent learning of new materials. In four experiments, we investigated the influence of retention interval and lag on this test-potentiated new learning (TPNL) effect. Participants studied four word lists and either practiced retrieval, restudied, or completed math problems following Lists 1-3. Memory performance on List 4 provided an estimate of new learning. In Experiments 1 and 2, participants were tested on List 4 after either a 1 min or 25 min retention interval. In Experiments 3 and 4, participants took at 25 min break before studying List 4. A TPNL effect was observed in all experiments. To gain insight into the mechanism that may underlie TPNL, we analyzed the extent to which participants organized their recall from list to list. Relative to restudy and math, testing led to superior semantic organization across lists. Our results support a strategy change account of TPNL. AbstractPracticing retrieval on previously studied materials can potentiate subsequent learning of new materials. In four experiments, we investigated the influence of retention interval and lag on this test-potentiated new learning (TPNL) effect. Participants studied four word lists and either practiced retrieval, restudied, or completed math problems following Lists 1-3. Memory performance on List 4 provided an estimate of new learning. In Experiments 1 and 2, participants were tested on List 4 after either a 1 min or 25 min retention interval. In Experiments 3 and 4, participants took at 25 min break before studying List 4. A TPNL effect was observed in all experiments. To gain insight into the mechanism that may underlie TPNL, we analyzed the extent to which participants organized their recall from list to list. Relative to restudy and math, testing led to superior semantic organization across lists. Our results support a strategy change account of TPNL.

show abstract

Looking for answers in all the wrong places: How testing facilitates learning of misinformation

Cited by 27 publications

References 28 publications

Flexible retrieval: When true inferences produce false memories.

Flexible retrieval: When true inferences produce false memories.

Reducing the Misinformation Effect Through Initial Testing: Take Two Tests and Recall Me in the Morning?

Testing potentiates new learning across a retention interval and a lag: A strategy change perspective

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About