Related Experiment Videos
Reducing bias in frequency judgment by improving source monitoring
Michael R P Dougherty1, Ana M Franco-Watkins
1Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA. mdougherty@psyc.umd.edu
Acta Psychologica
|April 8, 2003
Summary
People’s frequency judgments are often inaccurate due to irrelevant memories. Improving source monitoring, by manipulating encoding or item context, enhances judgment accuracy in decision making.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Decision Science
Background:
- Frequency judgments frequently deviate from objective reality.
- Irrelevant memory traces may bias these judgments.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate if external experiences bias frequency judgments.
- Determine if enhanced source monitoring improves judgment accuracy.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a two-list source-monitoring paradigm.
- Manipulated encoding and item-specific context between lists.
Main Results:
- Frequency judgments were biased by experiences with a second list.
- Improved source monitoring (via encoding/item context) led to more accurate judgments.
- Simple background context manipulation was ineffective.
Conclusions:
- Inability to screen irrelevant memories biases frequency judgments.
- Source monitoring enhancement improves frequency judgment accuracy.
- Item-specific context is crucial for effective source monitoring.