Valence and the development of immediate and long-term false memory illusions

Howe, Mark L.; Candel, Ingrid; Otgaar, Henry; Malone, Catherine; Wimmer, Marina C.

Abstract

Across five experiments we examined the role of valence in children's and adults’ true and false memories. Using the Deese/Roediger-McDermott paradigm and either neutral or negative-emotional lists, both adults’ (Experiment 1) and children's (Experiment 2) true recall and recognition was better for neutral than negative items, and although false recall was also higher for neutral items, false recognition was higher for negative items. The last three experiments examined adults’ (Experiment 3) and children's (Experiments 4 and 5) 1-week long-term recognition of neutral and negative-emotional information. The results replicated the immediate recall and recognition findings from the first two experiments. More important, these experiments showed that although true recognition decreased over the 1-week interval, false recognition of neutral items remained unchanged whereas false recognition of negative-emotional items increased. These findings are discussed in terms of theories of emotion and memory as well as their forensic implications.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 4, 2009
• Online Publication Date: Jan 18, 2010
• Publication Date: 2010-01
• Deposit Date: May 11, 2020
• Journal: Memory
• Print ISSN: 0965-8211
• Electronic ISSN: 1464-0686
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 18
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 58-75
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09658210903476514
• Keywords: Valence and memory, False memory development, DRM paradigm
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/2657055