Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 10, 2026
08:16
Combining Behavior and EEG to Study the Effects of Mindfulness Meditation on Episodic Memory
Published on: May 11, 2020
Features and feedback: enhancing metamnemonic knowledge at retrieval reduces source-monitoring errors
Sean M Lane1, Cristine C Roussel, Diane Villa
1Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA. slane@lsu.edu
Journal of Experimental Psychology. Learning, Memory, and Cognition
|November 7, 2007
Summary
Participants can improve eyewitness memory accuracy by learning to distinguish between true and false memories. Enhanced metamnemonic knowledge helps reduce misattributions in eyewitness identification.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Memory Research
Background:
- Eyewitness suggestibility is a significant issue in legal contexts.
- Distinguishing true memories from false memories is challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if enhanced metamnemonic knowledge improves source discrimination in eyewitness memory.
- To explore methods for reducing misattributions in eyewitness accounts.
Main Methods:
- Three experiments were conducted using the eyewitness suggestibility paradigm.
- Experiment 1: Documented differences in phenomenal experience between veridical and false memories.
- Experiments 2 & 3: Manipulated participants' awareness and use of metamnemonic knowledge.
Main Results:
- Drawing attention to memory features reduced source misattributions.
- Participants successfully adjusted their reliance on different types of evidence for source judgments.
- Feedback during training improved accuracy on subsequent, non-feedback trials.
Conclusions:
- Enhanced metamnemonic knowledge at retrieval can improve source discrimination.
- Individuals can learn to utilize memory characteristics to differentiate between true and suggested information.
- These findings have implications for improving eyewitness testimony reliability.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Metacognition
Metacognition is a conscious process where individuals are aware of their cognitive and executive processes, such as planning before solving a problem or self-monitoring during reading. For instance, a writer may need help with composing a piece. The situation involves a writer who is working on a piece of writing, but while doing so, they realize that something is missing. They notice that their characters lack depth or details. This realization occurs because the writer is reflecting on their...
01:10Tip-of-the-Tongue Phenomenon
The tip-of-the-tongue (TOT) phenomenon is a cognitive experience characterized by a temporary inability to retrieve specific information from memory despite having a strong feeling of knowing the information. Although individuals cannot access the target word or detail, they frequently recall related elements, such as its initial letter, syllable count, or context. This partial retrieval often causes frustration, as one might recognize a familiar face or know that a name starts with a specific...
01:23Mnemonic Devices
Mnemonic devices are cognitive tools that facilitate memory retention by linking new information to familiar patterns or organizational strategies. These techniques are beneficial for remembering complex or lengthy sets of information by simplifying and structuring them in easily retrievable ways.
Acronyms
Acronyms are created by using the initial letters of a series of words to form a new word or phrase. This approach condenses complex information into a single, memorable entity. For example,...
Acronyms
Acronyms are created by using the initial letters of a series of words to form a new word or phrase. This approach condenses complex information into a single, memorable entity. For example,...
01:16Interference and Decay
Forgetting is a complex cognitive phenomenon influenced by several factors, among which interference and decay are particularly prominent. These processes explain why individuals often struggle to retrieve specific information from memory, leading to lapses in recall that can be observed in everyday situations.
Interference occurs when competing memories hinder the retrieval of particular information. It can be classified into two types: proactive and retroactive interference. Proactive...
Interference occurs when competing memories hinder the retrieval of particular information. It can be classified into two types: proactive and retroactive interference. Proactive...
01:21Forgetting
Forgetting is an intrinsic aspect of human memory, characterized by the gradual loss or inaccessibility of information over time. Hermann Ebbinghaus, a pioneering psychologist, extensively studied this phenomenon and formulated the forgetting curve. This curve illustrates that memory loss occurs rapidly immediately after learning and then decelerates over time. Several mechanisms contribute to forgetting, including encoding failure, storage decay, retrieval failure, and interference.
Encoding...
Encoding...
01:09Synaptic Signaling
Neurons communicate at synapses, or junctions, to excite or inhibit the activity of other neurons or target cells, such as muscles. Synapses may be chemical or electrical.
Most synapses are chemical, meaning an electrical impulse or action potential spurs the release of chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. The neuron sending the signal is called the presynaptic neuron, and the neuron receiving the signal is the postsynaptic neuron.
The presynaptic neuron fires an action potential that...
Most synapses are chemical, meaning an electrical impulse or action potential spurs the release of chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. The neuron sending the signal is called the presynaptic neuron, and the neuron receiving the signal is the postsynaptic neuron.
The presynaptic neuron fires an action potential that...