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The dud-alternative effect in memory for associations: putting confidence into local context
Maciej Hanczakowski1, Katarzyna Zawadzka, Philip A Higham
1School of Psychology, Cardiff University, 64 Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK, HanczakowskiM@cardiff.ac.uk.
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review
|August 15, 2013
Summary
The dud-alternative effect inflates memory confidence judgments when implausible options are present. This effect is a general phenomenon in episodic memory, not limited to perceptual tasks.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Human Memory Research
Background:
- Confidence judgments in memory tasks can be influenced by the presence of incorrect alternatives.
- The dud-alternative effect, where confidence is inflated by implausible options, was previously observed in lineup procedures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the dud-alternative effect in episodic memory using a novel associative recognition task.
- To determine if the dud-alternative effect extends beyond perceptual memory tasks.
Main Methods:
- Developed a multiple-choice associative recognition task.
- Included implausible (dud) alternatives that could be identified by unfamiliarity.
- Conducted two experiments to assess the dud-alternative effect.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated a reliable dud-alternative effect using the novel paradigm.
- Confirmed that the effect occurs even when dud alternatives are rejectable based on unfamiliarity.
Conclusions:
- The dud-alternative effect is a general phenomenon in episodic memory.
- This effect influences confidence judgments irrespective of whether the task relies on perceptual factors.
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