LA IMPORTANCIA DE LA FUENTE DE CONTAGIO EN LA FORMACIÓN DE FALSOS RECUERDOS

Abstract

Collaborative recall can be a potential source of false memory. This study examines whether the presentation of misinformation during a collaborative recall test produces more false memory than when such information is notified in writing. 40 participants, aged from 21-34 years (M = 25 years, SE = 0.69), watched six scenes of a household for 15 or 60 seconds each. In the social contagion condition the participant and the confederate saw and recalled together the objects of scenes. In the implied contagion condition the participant saw and recalled scenes alone while the responses belonging to another participant were provided. In both conditions objects of high and low expectative that did not appear in the scenes were introduced. Finally, all participants recalled objects from each of the scenes. Scenes infected caused a higher proportion of false memories than uninfected scenes in both types of contagion. There was also more false memory when objects were typical of the scenes and presented for 15 seconds. The results indicate that false memories can be formed using the wrong answers from others without requiring their physical presence, and that participants combine information from its own memory with the answers from the source of contagion due to effect of informational influence.