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Reducing interrogative suggestibility: The role of self-affirmation and positive feedback
Malwina Szpitalak1, Romuald Polczyk1
1Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.
Plos One
|July 22, 2020
Summary
Reinforced self-affirmation (RSA) can reduce interrogative suggestibility by boosting self-confidence. Positive feedback related to memory reduced both yielding to misleading questions and shifting answers, while feedback on independence only reduced answer shifting.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Cognitive Psychology
- Forensic Psychology
Background:
- Interrogative suggestibility involves yielding to misleading questions (Yield) and changing answers after negative feedback (Shift).
- Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scales are used to measure these tendencies.
- Reinforced self-affirmation (RSA) aims to enhance self-confidence and reliance on personal memory.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of RSA in reducing interrogative suggestibility.
- To explore the impact of different types of positive feedback within RSA on Yield and Shift.
Main Methods:
- Participants underwent RSA, involving writing about achievements and receiving manipulated positive feedback.
- Two types of positive feedback were tested: memory-related and independence-related.
- Interrogative suggestibility was measured using the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scales.
Main Results:
- Shift was significantly reduced by positive feedback related to both memory and independence.
- Yield was reduced only by memory-related positive feedback.
- RSA demonstrated a differential effect on Yield and Shift, suggesting distinct underlying mechanisms.
Conclusions:
- RSA can effectively reduce components of interrogative suggestibility.
- Memory-related feedback is crucial for reducing both Yield and Shift.
- Independence-related feedback primarily impacts Shift, possibly due to memory's cognitive nature versus opinion-based judgments.
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