Wright, D. B. & Stroud, J. N. (1998). Memory quality and misinformation for peripheral and central objects. Legal and Criminological Psychology, 3, 273-286.

Background

-previous research indicates that information received after an event can alter one's memory for that event

-nice to know when looking over eyewitness testimony, with contradicting or biased information and all

-this study concerned with qualities of memories resulting from misinformation, evaluated qualities by looking at remember/know judgments and reaction times.

-predicted large misinformation effect when testing peripheral objects and a smaller effect when testing central objects

Method

-make note that the participants were taken from the university cafeteria (does that mean they had to miss lunch?)

-event was a shoplifting sequence with three critical scenes

1-why is there a kitchen in a shop, and why is the male customer cooking in

it? background has blender or coffee-maker (peripheral object)

2-female shoplifter takes wine or cigarettes (central item)

3-shoplifter leaves, passes a male wearing a blue or orange shirt

(continuous characteristic)

-half saw one item in each scene over the other

-popular filler and then given a summary-of-story narrative in which one or two pieces of misinformation was presented (e.g. narrative said stole cigarettes when picture was of her stealing wine)

-given a recognition test, used RK responses

Findings

-misinformation effect for peripheral object due to misinformation acceptance rather than messed up original information (perhaps not well encoded so post-event information was not suspicious, unaware that they were being led astray)

-no significant misinformation effect for central object

-most of those misled on peripheral object reported "remembering" the misinformation

-for continuous characteristic only 8 of 54 misled reported correct shirt color

-response time quick for those who reported misinformation on peripheral items