Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 9, 2026
07:26
The Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) Task: A Simple Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate False Memories in the Laboratory
Published on: January 31, 2017
Falsely recalled items are rich in item-specific information.
Daniel J Burns1, Carin L Jenkins, Erica E Dean
1Department of Psychology, Union College, Schenectady, New York 12308, USA. burnsd@union.edu
Memory & Cognition
|December 8, 2007
Summary
False memories in the Deese/Roediger-McDermott (DRM) procedure arise from critical lures receiving significant relational processing. This study reveals that lures are often rich in item-specific information, contrary to prior theories.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Memory Research
Background:
- The Deese/Roediger-McDermott (DRM) procedure is known to elicit false memories.
- Current theories attribute these false memories to relational processing of critical lures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of item-specific versus relational processing in false memory formation within the DRM paradigm.
- To assess the processing characteristics of both list items and critical lures using a repeated-testing method.
Main Methods:
- Two experiments employed a repeated-testing paradigm.
- Processing of list items was manipulated to vary item-specific and relational encoding.
- Item gains and cumulative recall curves were analyzed to quantify processing for list items and lures.
Main Results:
- Increased relational processing of list items led to increased item-specific processing of critical lures.
- Increased item-specific processing of list items resulted in decreased item-specific processing of critical lures.
- Critical lures were found to possess substantial item-specific information relative to the presented list items.
Conclusions:
- Contrary to prevailing theories, critical lures in the DRM procedure may be falsely remembered due to their inherent item-specific information.
- The interplay between item-specific and relational processing significantly influences the encoding of both list items and critical lures.
- Findings suggest a more complex mechanism underlying DRM false memories than previously assumed.
Related Concept Videos
01:18False Memories
False memories represent a cognitive distortion in which individuals recall events that did not happen, or remember them in an altered form. This phenomenon highlights the brain's constructive nature in processing and recalling memories, emphasizing that memory is not a perfect representation of past events but rather a dynamic reconstruction influenced by various factors.
One primary source of false memories is misattribution, where individuals incorrectly associate external information with...
One primary source of false memories is misattribution, where individuals incorrectly associate external information with...
01:22Eyewitness Memory
Eyewitness memory refers to the recollection of events by someone who has directly witnessed them, often serving as critical evidence in legal settings. This type of memory is commonly used in criminal cases where a witness describes details like a suspect's appearance, clothing, or behavior during a crime. However, despite its perceived reliability, eyewitness memory is prone to significant errors.
One such error is memory distortion, which occurs because human memory does not function like a...
One such error is memory distortion, which occurs because human memory does not function like a...
01:03Serial Position Effect
The serial position effect is a cognitive phenomenon where individuals are more likely to recall the first and last items in a list compared to those in the middle. This effect is divided into the primacy effect and the recency effect. The primacy effect is observed when the initial items in a list are remembered better. This occurs because these items are rehearsed more frequently or receive more elaborative processing, allowing them to be encoded into long-term memory more effectively. For...
01:08The Availability Heuristic
A heuristic is a general problem-solving framework (Tversky & Kahneman, 1974). You can think of these as mental shortcuts that are used to solve problems. Different types of heuristics are used in different types of situations, and the impulse to use a heuristic occurs when one of five conditions is met (Pratkanis, 1989):
01:16Flashbulb Memory
A flashbulb memory is a highly vivid and detailed memory, often linked to events of significant emotional impact. These memories stand out in contrast to everyday memories due to their clarity and the precision with which they are recalled. The strong emotions associated with the event act as a catalyst, ensuring that specific details, such as one's location, actions, and even peripheral elements, are etched into memory with remarkable accuracy. For example, many people can vividly recall where...
01:30Impact of Schemas
Schemas are cognitive structures that provide a framework for interpreting and organizing social information. They help individuals navigate complex environments by offering expectations about people, events, and behaviors. Schemas influence attention, encoding, and retrieval processes, thereby shaping the entire trajectory of information processing in social contexts.Attention and Cognitive LoadDuring initial attention, schemas function as filters that prioritize schema-consistent information,...