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AreYoung children susceptible to the false-memory illusion?
C J Brainerd1, V F Reyna, T J Forrest
1Department of Special Education, Rehabilitation, and School Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson 85721, USA. brainerd@u.arizona.edu
Child Development
|October 4, 2002
Summary
Young children experience fewer false memories, like the Deese/Roediger/McDermott (DRM) illusion, than adults. This is likely because they struggle to grasp the overall meaning of information.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Memory Research
Background:
- False memories are generally more prevalent in early childhood.
- Fuzzy-trace theory predicts certain adult false memories, such as the Deese/Roediger/McDermott (DRM) illusion, are less common in early childhood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the developmental trajectory of the Deese/Roediger/McDermott (DRM) illusion.
- To test the fuzzy-trace theory's prediction regarding DRM illusion attenuation in children.
Main Methods:
- Three developmental studies were conducted with 282 participants.
- The Deese/Roediger/McDermott (DRM) illusion was presented to participants across different age groups.
Main Results:
- The DRM illusion was found at near-floor levels in young children.
- False memory levels for the DRM illusion remained below adult levels even in early adolescence.
- Lower DRM illusion levels in young children correlated with difficulties in extracting the "gist" of the material.
Conclusions:
- The Deese/Roediger/McDermott (DRM) illusion is significantly attenuated in early childhood.
- Developmental differences in "gist" memory processing may explain the reduced false memory formation in children.