Transcript Level of Encoding and False Memory Typicality

Level of Encoding and False
Memory Typicality
Undergraduate Research Symposium
Christiaan Manno
May 15, 2004
FACT: YOUR MEMORY IS NOT
PERFECT!

False Memories occur everyday
- Can occur via the result of competing stimuli on either
the encoding or retrieval end.

Easily Created in an experimental
environment.
Misinformation
False Memory Research

False Feedback Paradigm
(Loftus)

DRM Paradigm
(Deese, Roediger, and
McDermott, 1995)
-Categorized Word Lists
-Critical Intrusions
Theoretical Basis

Reproductive and Reconstructive Memory
(Bartlett, 1932)

Depth of Analysis (Craik and Lockhart, 1972)
-Memories as merely byproducts of perceptual analysis.

Word Typicality/Representativeness (Barsalou, 1983)
-(i.e., robin, pigeon, and ostrich)
Implications of False Memory
Research

Eyewitness Testimony
-Negative Impact of Leading
Questions (power of
suggestion).
-Questions of Validity.

Repressed Memories
-Negative Impact of Clinical
Memory Retrieval methods.
-Questions of Validity.
Implications of False Memory
Research (cont.)

Based on Theories of
Reconstructive Memory
and Spreading Activation
Theory (Collins & Loftus,
1975).
-Memories often contain
associated information.
-Gives us a clue of how
information is stored in
your mind.
Hypothesis
The variability of false memories (critical
intrusions), within the list learning
paradigm, depends on the level of
encoding participants employ.
 The anticipated trend is that deeper
encoding leads to greater variability in
intrusions.

Method

Phase One
-Establish levels of
Category Output
Dominance.
-Participants were asked
to write down members
of a given category.
-Commonly mentioned
item = Highly Typical.
All participants were undergraduate students enrolled in psychology courses.
Method (cont.)

Phase Two
-Primary Test Phase.
-Presented with word
lists.
-Semantic (Deep) or
Non-semantic (Shallow)
encoding.
-Recall.
Results

The primary
hypothesis was
not confirmed.
Results (cont.)
 Deeper
14
Mean Score
13.5
13
Deep
12.5
Shallow
12
11.5
11
1
Condition
Figure 1. Condition and Mean Score
Encoding lead
to higher correct
recall.
Number of Critical Intrusions
Results (cont. II)
 Deeper
18
16
14
12
10
Deep
8
Shallow
6
4
2
0
1
Condition
Figure 1. Condition and Critical Intrusions
Encoding
protected
against Critical
Intrusions.
Discussion
Results confirm prior research on the role
of Level of Encoding.
 This research is important because it
helps us to better understand how to
avoid the occurrence of false memories.

Experimental Considerations


Alpha levels were not sufficient to attain
significant results.
Further analyses suggested minor design
flaws.
Acknowledgements





Distinguished Professor Elizabeth Loftus
Dr. Valerie Jenness, Social Ecology Honors
Program Coordinator
Rick Harvey, Grad Student Extraordinaire
Ben Palmer, Research Assistant
UCI Undergraduate Research Opportunities
Program
For Further Inquiries:
Christiaan P. Manno
Department of Psychology and Social Behavior
University of California, Irvine
[email protected]