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The Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) Task: A Simple Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate False Memories in the Laboratory
Published on: January 31, 2017
Attention to global gist processing eliminates age effects in false memories
Timothy N Odegard1, Robyn E Holliday, Charles J Brainerd
1Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, USA. odegard@uta.edu
Journal of Experimental Child Psychology
|October 24, 2007
Summary
False memory illusions, known as the Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) effect, do not increase with age when individuals are encouraged to connect word meanings. This suggests meaning-based connections influence false memory development.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Memory Studies
Background:
- The Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm is a well-established method for studying false memories.
- Previous research has shown counterintuitive age increases in the DRM false memory illusion.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of spontaneous meaning-based connections in the developmental increase of DRM false memory.
- To test the hypothesis that increased semantic interconnectivity underlies age-related changes in false memory.
Main Methods:
- Participants (11-year-olds and young adults) studied DRM word lists under two conditions: one encouraging meaning connections and one discouraging them.
- False memory recall and recognition were assessed.
- Conjoint recognition analyses were used to examine reliance on gist-based similarity.
Main Results:
- The typical age increase in false memory was eliminated when participants were encouraged to form meaning connections.
- The developmental increase in false memory persisted when participants were discouraged from forming meaning connections.
- Encouraging meaning connections led to increased reliance on gist-based similarity judgments.
Conclusions:
- Spontaneous interconnection of word meanings is a key factor in the developmental increase of DRM false memory.
- Interfering with or encouraging semantic processing can modulate age-related changes in false memory.
- Findings support the theoretical explanation linking semantic processing to the DRM effect across development.
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