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Related Experiment Videos

Repeated checking really does cause memory distrust.

Adam S Radomsky1, Philippe T Gilchrist, Dominique Dussault

  • 1Department of Psychology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke West, Montreal, QC, Canada H4B 1R6. adam.radomsky@concordia.ca

Behaviour Research and Therapy
|May 14, 2005
PubMed
Summary
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Repeatedly checking a real stove, similar to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) behaviors, significantly reduced memory confidence and detail. Checking a faucet did not yield the same memory distrust.

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Clinical Psychology

Background:

  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is increasingly linked to memory disturbances.
  • Research explores whether OCD involves memory deficits or impaired memory confidence.
  • Previous studies suggest checking behaviors may erode memory certainty.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if ritualistic checking of a real-world object affects memory confidence, vividness, and detail.
  • To differentiate the impact of relevant (OCD-like) checking versus irrelevant checking on memory.

Main Methods:

  • Fifty undergraduates repeatedly checked a real kitchen stove (relevant) or faucet (irrelevant) in a ritualized manner.
  • All participants performed a final stove check after 19 trials.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Memory confidence, vividness, and detail were assessed.

    • Main Results:

    • Repeated relevant checking (stove) led to significantly lower memory confidence, vividness, and detail.
    • Repeated irrelevant checking (faucet) did not produce these memory decrements.
    • Findings suggest checking behavior specifically impacts metamemory.

    Conclusions:

    • Ritualistic checking, particularly when relevant to a potential concern (like a stove), can impair memory confidence and metamemory.
    • These findings support cognitive-behavioral models of OCD, highlighting the role of checking in maintaining distress.
    • Repetitive checking behaviors may directly alter memory perception and confidence.