Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 4, 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
Correcting false information in memory: manipulating the strength of misinformation encoding and its retraction
Ullrich K H Ecker1, Stephan Lewandowsky, Briony Swire
1School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia. ullrich.ecker@uwa.edu.au
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review
|March 2, 2011
Summary
Even strong corrections may not fully eliminate the continued influence of misinformation if it was strongly encoded. This memory effect persists despite attempts to retract false information.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Memory Studies
- Information Science
Background:
- Misinformation, once encoded, can persistently influence memory and reasoning.
- Understanding factors influencing the persistence of misinformation is crucial for memory and belief correction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how encoding strength and retraction strength impact the continued influence of misinformation.
- To determine the effectiveness of retractions in mitigating misinformation's effects under varying encoding conditions.
Main Methods:
- Participants read event reports containing misinformation followed by a correction.
- Encoding strength was manipulated through repetition and cognitive load.
- Correction strength was also manipulated.
Main Results:
- Stronger retractions reduced continued influence for strongly encoded misinformation.
- Even strong retractions did not eliminate continued influence for weakly encoded misinformation.
- A computational model supported these findings.
Conclusions:
- The continued influence of misinformation is robust and difficult to eliminate completely.
- Encoding strength plays a critical role in the persistence of misinformation effects.
- Memory and reasoning remain susceptible to false information despite corrective measures.
More Related Videos
08:53Using a Classroom-Based Deese Roediger McDermott Paradigm to Assess the Effects of Imagery on False Memories
Published on: November 14, 2018
08:05A Prediction Error-driven Retrieval Procedure for Destabilizing and Rewriting Maladaptive Reward Memories in Hazardous Drinkers
Published on: January 5, 2018
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...
01:16Interference 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...
01:22Eyewitness 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...
01:14Impression Management Techniques IV: Altercasting
Altercasting is a strategic communication technique in which an individual imposes a specific identity or social role onto another person to influence their behavior and shape the interaction. By presuming a role—such as “responsible leader” or “patient person”—altercasting encourages the target to conform to that identity, often aligning their behavior with the expectations associated with the role. The power of this tactic lies in its subtlety; once a role is assigned, it becomes socially...
01:29Impression Management Techniques III: Aligning Actions
Aligning actions are communicative strategies individuals employ to maintain social harmony and preserve personal identity in the face of potential disruptions to social norms. These actions are particularly important in managing social impressions when one's behavior might be seen as inappropriate, incompetent, or morally questionable.Types of Aligning ActionsThe three principal types of aligning actions are disclaimers, accounts, and apologies.DisclaimersDisclaimers are preventive; they are...
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...