False Memory
Key Theories:
Feature Integration Theory: theory of attention and how we perceive separate
features of an event as part of the same object
- Tresiman & Schmidt (1982): if someone isn’t paying attention to each feature =
they will be combined incorrectly.
- illusory conjunctions occur because features are free flowing at the beginning of
the perceptual process and then combine when attention is paid to them.
Atkinson & Shiffrin – modal model of memory (1968): adapted over the years with
the addition of working memory
- sensory memory store (Sperling, 1960), short term memory (Miller, 1956), working
memory (Baddeley & Hitch, 1974) and long-term memory.
Consolidation theory – Mcgaugh (2000): neocortex is crucial for memories to be
consolidated; it can take over a week to do so. The hippocampus plays a temporary
tole in memory storage.
Spreading activation – Collins & Loftus (1975): activating one concept triggers
another and so on, closely related concepts are more triggered than loosely related
concepts. Involves semantic categories.
- constant association with a word that isn’t on the word list (DRM), spreading
activation theory creates the false memory of hearing that word.
Source monitoring framework – Johnson et al (1993): distinguishing between sources
e.g., a dream, film, imagination, reality. Imagination inflation. Can lead to incorrectly
distinguishing what is a dream as real.
- reality monitoring (Johnson & Raye, 1981)
- Goth & Roediger
Fuzzy trace theory – Reyna & Brainerd (1995): individuals have two types of mental
representation of a past event:
- verbatim trace = details of the event
- gist trace = a fuzzy representation of the event
Later recall may only rely on one of the traces because it’s easier to recall or due to
decay.
Associative monitoring – (Roediger, 2001): combined spreading activation and
source monitoring theory.
Key Studies:
Ebbinghaus (1885, 1913): decay curve of memory – memory decays massively
initially and then it becomes more gradual but still continual.
Hubbel & Weisel (1960s): discovered single neurons in the visual cortex responding
to just one feature e.g., a dot, line, moving line = feature detectors.
Simons & Chabris (1999): 46% of people failed to report seeing the gorilla = when
observers are attending to one sequence of events, they can fail to notice another
event even when it’s right in front of them.
Key Theories:
Feature Integration Theory: theory of attention and how we perceive separate
features of an event as part of the same object
- Tresiman & Schmidt (1982): if someone isn’t paying attention to each feature =
they will be combined incorrectly.
- illusory conjunctions occur because features are free flowing at the beginning of
the perceptual process and then combine when attention is paid to them.
Atkinson & Shiffrin – modal model of memory (1968): adapted over the years with
the addition of working memory
- sensory memory store (Sperling, 1960), short term memory (Miller, 1956), working
memory (Baddeley & Hitch, 1974) and long-term memory.
Consolidation theory – Mcgaugh (2000): neocortex is crucial for memories to be
consolidated; it can take over a week to do so. The hippocampus plays a temporary
tole in memory storage.
Spreading activation – Collins & Loftus (1975): activating one concept triggers
another and so on, closely related concepts are more triggered than loosely related
concepts. Involves semantic categories.
- constant association with a word that isn’t on the word list (DRM), spreading
activation theory creates the false memory of hearing that word.
Source monitoring framework – Johnson et al (1993): distinguishing between sources
e.g., a dream, film, imagination, reality. Imagination inflation. Can lead to incorrectly
distinguishing what is a dream as real.
- reality monitoring (Johnson & Raye, 1981)
- Goth & Roediger
Fuzzy trace theory – Reyna & Brainerd (1995): individuals have two types of mental
representation of a past event:
- verbatim trace = details of the event
- gist trace = a fuzzy representation of the event
Later recall may only rely on one of the traces because it’s easier to recall or due to
decay.
Associative monitoring – (Roediger, 2001): combined spreading activation and
source monitoring theory.
Key Studies:
Ebbinghaus (1885, 1913): decay curve of memory – memory decays massively
initially and then it becomes more gradual but still continual.
Hubbel & Weisel (1960s): discovered single neurons in the visual cortex responding
to just one feature e.g., a dot, line, moving line = feature detectors.
Simons & Chabris (1999): 46% of people failed to report seeing the gorilla = when
observers are attending to one sequence of events, they can fail to notice another
event even when it’s right in front of them.
