False Memories for Suggestions: The Impact of Conceptual Elaboration

Abstract

Relatively little attention has been paid to the potential role that reflecting on the meaning and implications of suggested events (i.e., conceptual elaboration) might play in promoting the creation of false memories. Two experiments assessed whether encouraging repeated conceptual elaboration, would, like perceptual elaboration, increase false memory for suggested events. Results showed that conceptual elaboration of suggested events more often resulted in high confidence false memories (Experiment 1) and false memories that were accompanied by the phenomenal experience of remembering them (Experiment 2) than did surface-level processing. Moreover, conceptual elaboration consistently led to higher rates of false memory than did perceptual elaboration. The false memory effects that resulted from conceptual elaboration were highly dependent on the organization of the postevent interview questions, such that conceptual elaboration only increased false memory beyond surface level processing when participants evaluated both true and suggested information in relation to the same theme or dimension.

Figure 1

Mean proportion of suggested items misattributed to the video (collapsed across maybe yes, probably yes, and definitely yes responses) as a function of postevent exposure (0 vs. 3) and elaboration condition (No Elaboration, Perceptual, or Conceptual). Note that the pattern is identical for the definitely yes errors. Error bars represent the standard error of the mean.

Figure 2

Mean proportion of items seen in the video that were correctly attributed to the video (collapsed across maybe yes, probably yes, and definitely yes) as a function of postevent exposure (0 vs. 3) and elaboration condition (No Elaboration, Perceptual, or Conceptual). The pattern is the same for definitely yes responses. Error bars represent the standard error of the mean.

Figure 3

Mean proportion of suggested items in the 3 postevent exposure condition that were incorrectly remembered as being in the video, as a function of elaboration condition (No Elaboration, Perceptual, or Conceptual) and grouping condition (By Episode or By Scene). Error bars represent the standard error of the mean.