2009 01 00 Applied Cognitive Psychology - Vol 23 No 1 - Otgaar

Magazine Overview

This document is a research paper published in the journal 'Applied Cognitive Psychology', Volume 23, pages 115-125, with an online publication date of March 14, 2008. The paper, titled 'Abducted by a UFO: Prevalence Information Affects Young Children's False Memories for an Implausible Event', investigates how information about the frequency of an event influences the development of false memories in children. The study was conducted by Henry Otgaar, Ingrid Candel, Harald Merckelbach from Maastricht University, and Kimberley A. Wade from the University of Warwick.

Study on False Memories in Children

The research aimed to determine if prevalence information, which suggests an event is common, could lead children to develop false memories for both plausible and implausible events. The study also sought to identify developmental differences in this process. Previous research had established that children can develop false memories, even for bizarre and implausible events, as seen in controversial legal cases like the 'McMartin Preschool' trial. However, the specific factors contributing to implausible false memories were not fully understood.

The study adapted a false narrative procedure, exposing children to a true narrative about their first day at school and a false narrative about either a plausible event (almost choking on a candy) or an implausible event (being abducted by a UFO). Half of the children in each group also received prevalence information in the form of a fabricated newspaper article suggesting the event occurred frequently. Children were interviewed twice over seven days to report their memories.

Participants and Methodology

The study involved 91 primary school children, divided into two age groups: 44 children aged 7-8 years and 47 children aged 11-12 years. The children were randomly assigned to conditions involving the type of false event (plausible or implausible) and the presence or absence of prevalence information. Parents provided consent, and children received a small gift for participation. The study was approved by an ethical committee.

True narratives were personalized with details about the child's first day at school, obtained from parents. False narratives were selected from a pilot study where events were rated for plausibility, valence, and script knowledge. The 'almost choked on a candy' event was deemed plausible, while 'abducted by a UFO' was implausible. Both events were matched for valence and script knowledge but differed significantly in plausibility. False newspaper articles were created to mimic local news, personalizing them with the children's hometown and suggesting the event was common.

Procedure

Children were interviewed individually twice. During Interview 1, they were told about their first day at school and then about the false event. In the prevalence information condition, they were also given a newspaper article. Retrieval techniques like context reinstatement and guided imagery were used to help children recall details. They were instructed to think about the events daily until Interview 2 and not to discuss them with others. Parents were also asked not to discuss the events with their children. Interview 2 followed a similar procedure, and children were debriefed at the end.

Results and Discussion

True Memories

Children's recall of true memories was very high, with 97% remembering details at Interview 1 and 98% at Interview 2.

False Memories

At Interview 1, 33% of the children developed a false memory. This increased to 30% at Interview 2, with a significant increase in those who assented immediately. A notable finding was the interaction between age and prevalence information at Interview 1: prevalence information significantly enhanced the development of false memories in 7-8 year olds but not in 11-12 year olds. Younger children in the prevalence condition were approximately twice as likely to report false memories.

At Interview 2, the effect of prevalence information on younger children's false memories decreased, possibly due to a decrease in false memories reported by those in the prevalence group. The study also found that the plausibility of the false event did not affect the likelihood of false memories; children were equally likely to report false memories for both plausible and implausible events. However, younger children were generally more likely to report false memories than older children at Interview 2.

The authors discussed a potential counterexplanation for the effect in younger children, suggesting compliance with the researcher due to their greater suggestibility. They recommended future studies to examine the effect of prevalence information alone.

Conclusion

The study concluded that combining false descriptions with prevalence information increased false memory reports in younger children during an initial interview. This effect was observed for both plausible and implausible events. A significant number of children (over 70%) falsely remembered being abducted by a UFO. The findings highlight that children can easily develop false memories for highly implausible events, with implications for forensic and clinical contexts. The study was the first to successfully implant false memories of UFO abductions.

Acknowledgements

The study was supported by a grant from the Netherlands Organisation of Scientific Research (NWO) to Ingrid Candel.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme throughout this paper is the malleability of memory, particularly in children, and the factors that can influence the creation of false memories. The research focuses on cognitive processes related to memory formation, suggestibility, and the impact of external information (like prevalence information) on recall. The editorial stance of 'Applied Cognitive Psychology' is to publish rigorous empirical research that advances the understanding of cognitive processes, as evidenced by this study's detailed methodology and statistical analysis.

This document is a page from the journal *Applied Cognitive Psychology*, Volume 23, published in 2009. The page number is 125, and the content focuses on 'Prevalence information, plausibility, and children's false memories.' The copyright is held by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., dating back to 2008.

Key Articles and Research Summaries

The page primarily consists of a bibliography or reference list for research related to false memories in children. Several studies are cited, highlighting different aspects of memory formation and distortion:

• Schreiber et al. (2006) investigated suggestive interviewing techniques in the context of the McMartin Preschool and Kelly Michaels daycare abuse cases, analyzing them as a case study within *Social Influence*.
• Scoboria, Mazzoni, Kirsch, & Jimenez (2006) explored the impact of prevalence and script information on the plausibility, belief, and memory of autobiographical events, as published in *Applied Cognitive Psychology*.
• Scoboria, Mazzoni, Kirsch, & Relyea (2004) also examined plausibility and belief in autobiographical memory in *Applied Cognitive Psychology*.
• Smeets, Merckelbach, Horselenberg, & Jelicic (2005) discussed confidence, beliefs, and memories in the context of trying to recollect past events, in *Clinical Psychology Review*.
• Strange, Sutherland, & Garry (2006) presented findings suggesting that event plausibility does not determine children's false memories, as reported in *Memory*.
• Wade, Garry, Read, & Lindsay (2002) demonstrated how using false photographs can create false childhood memories, with their work published in *Psychonomic Bulletin & Review*. The striking title of this study is "A picture is worth a thousand lies."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme is the complex nature of memory, particularly in children, and how external factors like suggestive questioning, pre-existing information (scripts), and even visual stimuli can lead to the creation of false memories. The research cited suggests a critical approach to eyewitness testimony and memory recall, especially in legal or therapeutic contexts involving children. The editorial stance, inferred from the selection of these studies, is one of scientific inquiry into the reliability and malleability of human memory.