The effects of social pressure on false memories
Abstract
The present experiments were designed to examine the effects of social pressure on false memories. Participants studied lists created to elicit false memories and then worked with virtual confederates on a recognition memory task. In Experiment 1, participants worked with one or two confederates to complete multiple study/test trials. On the group tests, participants were pressured to recognize words that did not appear on the studied lists. Experiment 2 was implemented similarly but used a more traditional design involving one long study phase followed by one long test phase. Experiment 3 manipulated social pressure as a with-in participants variable to determine whether working with others leads to an alteration in response criterion. Following the purported group tests in all three experiments, participants completed individual recognition tests. Taken together, the present experiments demonstrate that confederate responses have a large impact on participants' responses on group recognition tests. Furthermore, they suggest that in certain circumstances, the confederates' memories can become the participant's own.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Nairne, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Cognitive therapy
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