Research Method

Josely Pena

Professor: Brittany Rosa

Research Methods

False Memory and Gender

Worcester State University

APA Outline

· Mankind’s brain evolved tremendously over the past few decades especially with the vast number of disorders and illnesses that plague society each year. False memory is yet another to add to the list of plagues, as mankind evolve so does the ability to acquire false memories along the way.

· Considering the above mentioned aspects, it is vitally important to determine why false memory occurs in individuals and their contributing factors.

1) Why do false memories occur in high stress situations?

· During low stress situations, individuals are calm therefore their minds are not in overdrive trying to recall bits and pieces of details. However, this does not guarantee that the individuals will not be susceptible to false memory formation.

· During high stress situations, the brain tends to secrete cortisol as a result of physical or nervous strain thus activating “survival mode” within the individual as the body’s natural response in a fight or flight situation. However, according to Maria Soledad Baeto’s studies, the mean proportion of the stress and no-stress group of true recognition, false recognition and intrusions findings are as follows: Stress group true recognition (.89)(10); false recognition (.68)(23) and intrusions (.02)(.03). The no-stress group true recognition (.89)(10); false recognition (.66)(20) and intrusions (.01)(.02) (Maria Soledad Baeto, 2013).

· In conclusion, stress does not impact the functionality of the memory excluding individuals who contain borderline personality disorders, mental illnesses and strong emotional connections to certain who happen to be susceptible. In essence, stress has no effect on false memory formation.

2) For whom do false memories occur more?

· When an individual remembers details of an event differently to how it occurred or did not occur at all, it is known as false memory. Individuals especially susceptible to misinformation include high self-directness, highly dependent on being rewarded and high cooperativeness. Individuals with low cognitive abilities, low negative evaluation and low need to avoid harm Zhu et.al. (2010b).

· Age is an influential factor as older adults are, to a greater extent, prone to memory errors as a result of decreased frontal lobe activity. A study between second, fifth, eighth graders and college students showed exhibited accurate and false memory recall increased with age in three experiments. The result, second graders experienced less false memory while fifth graders exhibited similar results to adults in low-demand situations and similar to younger children in high demand situations.

· In conclusion, any individual is susceptible to memory distortions taking into account the contributing factors.

3) Are positive or negative memories more prone to false memory errors?

· False memory is the distortion or misinformation of details about an event that occurred or in more drastic cases, did not occur. Memory distortion is common in all individuals of all ages.

· Research shows that negative natural moods or individuals with borderline personality disorders tend to experience false memories. An individual’s mind operates with the information the individual feeds it - for instance, if negative emotions are experienced the mind receives and generates negative thoughts, embedding it eventually distorting the cognitive ability to recollect accurate memory details. According to Hunt and Einstein (1981), positive moods promote relational processing whereas negative moods promote item processing. Bless et al. (1996) predicted that positive moods increase certainty on cognition structures.

· Negative induced emotions suppress false memory whereas natural negative moods correlate with false memory. Positive emotions are viable variables enabling individuals to remember aspects or details more clearly.

· “Why do false memory occurs in individuals and what factors contribute to false memory?” Based on former research it can be hypothesized that false memories occur in individuals with cognitive impaired abilities and can be highly influenced by the contributing factors that surround each individual daily.

REFERENCES

Nichols, Rebecca M and Loftus, Elizabeth F. ( 01/08/2019).Who is susceptible in three false memory tasks? (0965-8211). DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2019.1611862

Bookbinder S.H. and Brainerd C.J. (2016). Emotion and False Memory: The Context–Content Paradox. (Vol. 142, No. 12, 1315–1351). http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/bul0000077

Baeto, Maria & Cadavid, Sara & Pulido, Ramon & Pinho, Salome. (2013) . No effect of stress on false recognition. Psicothema. 25. 25-30. DOI: 10.7334/psicothema2012.158

Roberts, P. (2002) Vulnerability to false memory: The effects of stress, imagery, trait anxiety, and depression. Current Psychology. 21. 240-252. DOI: 10.1007/s12144-002-1016-9

Metzger, Richard & Warren, Amye & Shelton, Jill & Price, Jodi & Reed, Andrea & Williams, Danny. (2008). Do Children “DRM” Like Adults? False Memory Production in Children. Developmental psychology. 44.169- 81. DOI: 10.1037/0012-1649.44.1.169