scholarly journals Questioning the Role of Forward Associative Strength in False Memories: Evidence From Deese-Roediger-McDermott Lists With Three Critical Lures

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Soledad Beato ◽  
Jason Arndt
Keyword(s):  
False Memory ◽  
Associative Strength ◽  
False Recognition ◽  
False Memories ◽  
Free Association ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Drm Paradigm ◽  
Backward Associative Strength

We report an experiment examining the factors that produce false recognition in the Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm. We selectively manipulated the probability that critical lures produce study items in free association, known as forward associative strength (FAS), while controlling the probability that study items produce critical lures in free association, known as backward associative strength (BAS). Results showed that false recognition of critical lures failed to differ between strong and weak FAS conditions. Follow-up correlational analyses further supported this outcome, showing that FAS was not correlated with false recognition, despite substantial variability in both variables across our stimulus sets. However, these correlational analyses did produce a significant and strong relationship between BAS and false recognition. These results support views that propose false memory is produced by activation spreading from study items to critical lures during encoding, which leads critical lures to be confused with episodically-experienced events.

The role of decision criterion in the Deese–Roediger–McDermott (DRM) false recognition memory: False memory falls and rises as a function of restriction on criterion setting

2018 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 499-521 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerwen Jou ◽  
Eric E. Escamilla ◽  
Mario L. Arredondo ◽  
Liann Pena ◽  
Richard Zuniga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
False Memory ◽  
False Recognition ◽  
False Memories ◽  
Decision Criterion ◽  
Forced Choice ◽  
Choice Test ◽  
Critical Lure ◽  
Criterion Setting ◽  
Choice Restriction

How much of the Deese–Roediger–McDermott (DRM) false memory is attributable to decision criterion is so far a controversial issue. Previous studies typically used explicit warnings against accepting the critical lure to investigate this issue. The assumption is that if the false memory results from using a liberally biased criterion, it should be greatly reduced or eliminated by an explicit warning against accepting the critical lure. Results showed that warning was generally ineffective. We asked the question of whether subjects can substantially reduce false recognition without being warned when the test forces them to make a distinction between true and false memories. Using a two-alternative forced choice in which criterion plays a relatively smaller role, we showed that subjects could indeed greatly reduce the rate of false recognition. However, when the forced-choice restriction was removed from the two-item choice test, the rate of false recognition rebounded to that of the hit for studied list words, indicating the role of criterion in false recognition.

scholarly journals The Role of Language Proficiency in False Memory: A Mini Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mar Suarez ◽  
Maria Soledad Beato
Keyword(s):  
False Memory ◽  
Associative Strength ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
False Memories ◽  
L2 Proficiency ◽  
Memory Errors ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Current State

Memory errors and, specifically, false memories in the Deese/Roediger–McDermott paradigm have been extensively studied in the past decades. Most studies have investigated false memory in monolinguals’ native or first language (L1), but interest has also grown in examining false memories in participants’ second language (L2) with different proficiency levels. The main purpose of this manuscript is to review the current state of knowledge on the role of language proficiency on false memories when participants encode and retrieve information in the same language. To do so, a systematic literature search was conducted, and the available studies were reviewed. These studies differed in, for example, age, language proficiency, or material characteristics, including both high and low associative strength lists, and they reported different results. In this review, we attempted to make sense of the apparently contradictory results by carefully identifying participants’ language dominance and L2 proficiency. Specifically, the results indicated that, first, people are more prone to produce false memories in their dominant than in their non-dominant language. This result generalizes to lists with high and low associative strength, as well as to participants of different ages. Second, false memories do not differ between two languages when speakers are equally proficient in both languages. Finally, highly proficient L2 speakers produce more false memories in their L2 than speakers with lower L2 proficiency. The results of this review will be considered in the light of the theoretical frameworks of false memories and bilingual language processing.

EXPRESS: Drawing Individual Images Benefits Recognition Accuracy in the DRM Paradigm

2021 ◽  
pp. 174702182110564
Author(s):  
Jacob Namias ◽  
Mark Huff ◽  
Allison Smith ◽  
Nicholas Maxwell
Keyword(s):  
Signal Detection ◽  
False Memory ◽  
False Recognition ◽  
Recognition Accuracy ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Control Task ◽  
Drm Paradigm ◽  
Memory Accuracy ◽  
Reduction Experiment ◽  
Drawing Task

We examined the effects of drawing on correct and false recognition within the Deese/Roediger-McDermott (DRM) false memory paradigm. In Experiment 1, we compared drawing of a word’s referent using either a standard black pencil or colored pencils relative to a read-only control group. Relative to reading, drawing in either black or colored pencil similarly boosted correct recognition and reduced false recognition. Signal-detection analyses indicated that drawing reduced the amount of encoded memory information for critical lures and increased monitoring, indicating that both processes contributed to the false recognition reduction. Experiment 2 compared drawing of individual images of DRM list items relative to drawing integrated images using sets of DRM list items. False recognition was lower for drawing of individual images relative to integrated images—a pattern that reflected a decrease in encoded memory information but not monitoring. Therefore, drawing individual images improves memory accuracy in the DRM paradigm relative to a standard read-control task and an integrated drawing task, which we argue is due to the recruitment of item-specific processing.

scholarly journals Semantic and episodic processes differently predict false memories in the DRM task

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniele Gatti ◽  
Luca Rinaldi ◽  
Giuliana Mazzoni ◽  
Tomaso Vecchi
Keyword(s):  
False Memory ◽  
Semantic Memory ◽  
Direct Evidence ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
False Memories ◽  
Memory Systems ◽  
New Words ◽  
False Recognitions ◽  
Specific Contribution

There is a fervent debate about the processes underpinning false memories formation. Seminal theories have suggested that semantic memory would be involved in false memories production, while episodic memory would counter their formation. Yet, direct evidence corroborating such view is still missing. Here, we tested this possibility by asking participants to perform the Deese–Roediger–McDermott (DRM) task, a typical false memory paradigm, in which they had to study lists of words and subsequently to recognize and distinguish them from new words (i.e., the false memory items). The same participants were also required to perform a semantic task and an episodic-source memory task. Our results showed that a higher number of false memories in the DRM task occurred for those participants with better semantic memory abilities, while a lower number of false memories occurred for participants with better episodic abilities. These findings support a key role of semantic processes in false memory formation and, more generally, help clarify the specific contribution of different memory systems to false recognitions.

Children's Emotional False Memories

2007 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 856-860 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark L. Howe
Keyword(s):  
Associative Strength ◽  
False Recognition ◽  
False Negative ◽  
False Memories ◽  
False Recall ◽  
Relational Processing ◽  
Emotional Information ◽  
True Negative ◽  
Neutral Information ◽  
Children's Memory

Eight- and 12-year-old children were presented with neutral and negative emotional Deese-Roediger-McDermott lists equated on familiarity and associative strength. Both recall and recognition (A') measures were obtained. Recall measures exhibited the usual age increments in true and false recollection. True neutral items were better recalled and recognized than true negative emotional items. Although the children showed more false recall for neutral than for negative emotional lists, false recognition was higher for negative emotional than for neutral items. A' analyses also showed that whereas true neutral information and false neutral information were easily discriminated by children regardless of age, the same was not the case for true and false negative emotional information. Together, these results suggest that although children may be able to censor negative emotional information at recall, such information promotes relational processing in children's memory, making true and false emotional information less discriminable overall.

EXPRESS: The effect of early list manipulations on the DRM illusion

2021 ◽  
pp. 174702182110126
Author(s):  
Justine Fam ◽  
Mark Huff ◽  
R F Westbrook ◽  
Nathan M. Holmes
Keyword(s):  
False Memory ◽  
Significant Contribution ◽  
Potential Role ◽  
List Item ◽  
False Memories ◽  
Distractor Item ◽  
Item Recall ◽  
Extraction Processes ◽  
Affect Processing

The Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm is widely used to study false memory in the laboratory. It tests memory for lists of semantically related words (correct list item memories) and their non-presented associates (false lure memories). Evidence suggests that early items in DRM lists could make an especially significant contribution to false memories of lures, as they may critically influence the underlying associative activation and/or gist extraction processes. The present study tested this suggestion by using two manipulations that were intended to affect processing of early DRM list items. The first was interpolation of a semantically unrelated distractor item among the list items (Experiments 1 and 2). The second was arranging for these items to be either the strongest or weakest associates of the lure (Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, a distractor item reduced both list item and lure recall when presented early in a DRM list, but selectively disrupted list item recall when presented late in the list. In Experiment 2, arranging for the early list items to be the weakest associates of the lure reduced false recall of the lure but had no effect on list item recall. The findings are discussed with respect to theories that explain false memory in the DRM protocol, including fuzzy trace theory (FTT) and activation monitoring theory (AMT). They are also discussed with respect to general theories of memory and the potential role of category/context information in generating false memories.

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