Side- and similarity-biases during confidence conformity

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Memory conformity occurs when individuals adopt others' memories, influenced by social cues and confidence levels.
• Previous research indicates conformity is higher with confident confederates and lower self-confidence.
• The interaction between personal and others' confidence in memory conformity remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantitatively analyze how confidence levels transform during memory conformity.
• To investigate if memory conformity results from gradual confidence shifts (confidence conformity).
• To examine the interplay of personal and confederate confidence in memory conformity.

Main Methods:

• Participants completed a memory test involving identifying target/lure videos.
• Responses included side (Yes/No) and confidence ratings.
• Participants adjusted responses based on simulated confederate answers and confidence values across three sessions.

Main Results:

• Participants exhibited confidence conformity, gradually increasing confidence in their chosen side.
• Confidence enhancement towards same-sided confederates was stronger than decrements from opposite-sided ones.
• Confidence boosts were most effective when confederate confidence was similar, but not identical, to their own.

Conclusions:

• Memory conformity involves a gradual buildup of confidence, termed confidence conformity.
• Individuals display side- and similarity-biases in their confidence conformity.
• Social influence dynamically shapes memory accuracy and confidence through conformity processes.