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.

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.

Deeper Encoding lead to higher correct recall. Results (cont.) Deeper Encoding lead to higher correct recall. Figure 1. Condition and Mean Score

Deeper Encoding protected against Critical Intrusions. Results (cont. II) Deeper Encoding protected against Critical Intrusions. Figure 1. Condition and 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 cmanno@uci.edu