Porter, S., Birt, A.R., Yuille, J.C. & Lehman, D.R. (2000). Negotiating false memories: Interviewer and remembered characteristics relate to memory distortion. Psychological Science, 11, 507-510.
This article follows up on previous work by Porter by examining how characteristics of both the interviewer and the subject relate to the creation of false autobiographical memories.

Prior research has shown that asking subjects to repeatedly think about and/or repeatedly imagine nonevents can lead to the creation of false autobiographical memories (Hyman & Billings, 1998; Loftus & Pickrell, 1995; Porter, et. al, 1999).

Some research has shown individual difference variables are related to the creation of false autobiographical memories. In particular, Hyman and Billings (1998) found that dissociation is related to false memory creation. However, other researchers have failed to find that relationship. Porter et. al sought to provide further evidence concerning that relationship.

In addition, they wanted to determine if any of the NEO Five-Factor personality variables were related to the creation of false memories. The NEO posits the existence of 5 personality traits (Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness to experience, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness.
Memory implantation takes place in a social dynamic. For that reason Porter, et. al were interested in whether characteristics of the interviewer, not just the subject, predicted false memories.

 
Method
The subjects and interviewers from Porter, et. al (1999) were tested. See our earlier summary of that article for details of the methodology.
Subjects were given the DES and both subjects and interviewers were given the NEO
Results

Responses from the first study had been classified as either no memory, partial false memory, or complete false memories

Personality Characteristics of Subjects

Subjects who had complete (M = 20.39) or partial false memories (M = 20.62) had higher DES scores than those who did not have false memories (M = 10.61).
Subjects who experienced a complete false memory (M = 49.08) had lower extroversion scores than those who experienced only partial false memory (M = 60.71) but neither differed significantly from the no false memory group (M = 57.17)

The no false memory group (M = 53.25) scored higher on conscientiousness than the partial false memory group (M = 42.15) and the full false memory group (M = 48.77)

Personality Characteristics of Interviewers

Interviewers who produced the greatest number of false memories scored higher on extroversion than did interviewers who produced fewer false memories .

Interviewers who produced the greatest number of false memories score somewhat higher on openness to experience, but this trend was not significant at conventional levels

Discriminant Function Analysis

A discriminant function was able to correctly categorize 27 or 33 cases. Best predictor was subject DES, followed by interviewer extroversion and then subject extroversion.

General Discussion

Major conclusions are that participants who are high on dissociation are more prone to false memories

But also false memories were more likely when the subject was introverted and when the interviewer was extroverted. Seems like both of these factors may allow interviewer to dominate the subject and lead to the FM

Emphasizes social nature of false memory creation
 

 
University of 
Arkansas
Department of 
Psychology
Graduate Program 
in Experimental Psychology
Lampinen 
Lab
False Memory 
Reading Group
False Memory Reading 
Group Summer 2001