The effects of varying negativity and presentation duration of images on formation of false memories

Abstract

Studies about“False memory” are developing in the field of cognitive psychology. This study aims to investigate the interplay between presentation duration, negativity, and the presence of misinformation in the formation of false memories. Participants were exposed to slides of varying emotional valences (negative and neutral) and presentation durations (long and short), followed by questions containing either target or false options (either “critical lures” or “foil”. Confidence levels for each response were also recorded. The study found that subjects were more prone to false memories when presented with misinformation in the form of critical questions, especially when the slides were negatively valenced. Furthermore, confidence levels for artificially generated false memories were significantly higher in the long-duration group but lower in the short-duration group. These findings suggest that the presence of misinformation and the emotional valence of the stimuli significantly influence the formation of false memories.