The influence of schematic knowledge on contradictory versus additive misinformation: false memory for typical and atypical items

• Published in: Applied cognitive psychology Vol. 20; no. 5; pp. 563 - 573
• Main Authors: Nemeth, Robert J., Belli, Robert F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.07.2006; Wiley; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Cognition & reasoning; Consistency; Contradiction; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Human; Knowledge; Learning. Memory; Memory; Misinformation; Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Schemas; Human; Typicality; Scheme; Suggestibility; Memory; Cognition; False memory; Experimental study; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0888-4080; 1099-0720
• DOI: 10.1002/acp.1207

In the current study, we examined the influence of schema consistency on contradictory and additive misinformation. Sixty‐four participants were shown a series of still photographs of common scenes (e.g., a kitchen), were later exposed to narratives containing misinformation, and were then tested on their memory of the photographic scenes. In addition, participants were asked to reflect on their phenomenological experience of remembering by giving remember/know responses. Participants reported greater false memory for schema‐inconsistent items than schema‐consistent items. The findings failed to replicate Roediger, Meade, and Bergman (2001). Explanations for the discrepant findings are discussed. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.