Studying Misinformation effect on the Episodic and Semantic memory
Nalband Abul Aala (10427)
Introduction
The misinformation effect refers to the impairment in memory for the past that arises after exposure to misleading information.[1][4] The effect was first observed in late seventies by Elizabeth Loftus. Different cognitive process histories can be responsible for the same erroneous report in different people. It is a prime example of retroactive interference, which occurs when information presented later interferes with the ability to retain previously encoded information. Essentially, the new information that a person receives works backward in time to distort memory of the original event.[2][4] Different experiments have been conducted for the better understanding of the underlying cognitive processes
Previous studies and research
Misleading information presented after an event can lead people to erroneous reports of that misinformation. The phenomenon has been investigated for at least 30 years, as investigators have addressed a number of issues. These include the conditions under which people are especially susceptible to the negative impact of misinformation, and conversely when are they resistant. Warnings about the potential for misinformation sometimes work to inhibit its damaging effects, but only under limited circumstances. The misinformation effect has been observed in a variety of human and nonhuman species. And some groups of individuals are more susceptible than others. At a more theoretical level, investigators have explored the fate of the original memory traces after exposure to misinformation appears to have made them inaccessible. Recent work on misinformation effect focusses on the neurological basis of it and explores the processes by which people come to believe falsely that they experienced rich complex events that never, in fact, occurred[2] and this emphasizes mostly on the understanding about the impairment of memory and replacement of the original memory. And also, the research on the misinformation effect has uncovered concerns about the permanence and reliability of memory.[3]
Proposal and Methodology
I plan on studying the Misinformation effect based on the type of memory it affects focussing on Episodic memory and Semantic memory and find out the extent of vulnerability of each memory.
Subjects will be divided into 2 sets and 4 subsets. Each subset will contain 3 age groups and 4 members in each groups with 2 male and 2 female. In all 48 subjects of varying descriptions are required. These sets will individually test the effect episodic and semantic memory with 1 subset being control and another being test subset.
So this subjects will be shown video clips and factual informations will be given dependng on the type of focus and based on that varied question will be asked.
Significance
This experiment will bring out the broader perspective of this psychological effect based on the type of memory, gender and age related.
References:
[1] Loftus, E. (2005). "Planting misinformation in the human mind: A 30-year investigation of the malleability of memory". Learning & Memory 12 (4): 361-366. doi:10.1101/lm.94705
[2] Robinson-Riegler, B., & Robinson-Riegler, G. (2004). Cognitive Psychology: Applying the Science of the Mind. Allyn & Bacon. p. 313.
[3] Saudners, J.; MacLeod, Malcolm D. (2002). "New evidence on the suggestibility of memory: The role of retrieval-induced forgetting in misinformation effects". Journal of Experimental Psychology 8 (2): 127-142. doi:10.1037/1076-898X.8.2.127
[4]Introduction in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misinformation_effect