Many people think of memory as an accurate "recording" of past events. However, researchers have been able to demonstrate that it is fairly easy to make subjects misremember events, or even remember events that did not occur

Question

Explain three different techniques that researchers have used to create these false memories. Provide examples of each.

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answer: A good answer will include three of the following key points. Examples will vary.
? Misinformation effect—information presented after an event can become part of the memory for that event. For example, if a researcher asked a question about who was wearing the yellow hat in the video a participant had just watched, he or she might remember the hat as being yellow, even if the only hat was red.
? DRM procedure—participants study a list of highly related words called semantic associates. The most obvious word that belongs in the list, called a critical lure, is missing. When later prompted, participants recall the critical lure being part of the list. For example, if participants studied a list that included the words: robin, nest, egg, wing, feather, and fly, they would likely remember that the word "bird" appeared on the list, even though it did not.
? Guided imagery—instructing participants to imagine an event can alter memories or create false memories. The participants' confidence in these false memories typically increases following repeated imaginings of the event (imagination inflation). For example, researchers could have participants imagine the time they lost their parents at the zoo. Even if this event never occurred, some participants are likely to recall that it did after several sessions.
? False photographs—digitally editing childhood photographs to show an event that never occurred can create false memories. For example, showing participants photographs of themselves as children riding on an elephant is likely to create a memory for the event in some subjects, even if it never really happened.