Laney at al 2008 study

Laney at al 2008 study

Review of the study of false memories

Learning objectives

• To discuss the Laney et al 2008 study

Brief background

This research investigated the impact that implanting positive false beliefs and memories in people about their liking of eating asparagus as a child would have on their food preferences later.

Laney expected to be able to implant memories of loving asparagus the first time it was tried from previous research, but wanted to investigate if these false memories would lead to positive consequences for their participants.

The research consisted of two experiments, the first aimed to see if false feedback about liking a food could cause a false memory and change a participant's eating behaviour. As well as checking the reliability of the findings in the first experiment , the second experiment wanted to examine the underlying cognitive mechanisms of false memory consequence effect.

AIM (Experiment 1)

To investigate whether positive false memories for loving asparagus can be implanted into people then change their childhood memories of liking asparagus.

Experiment 1 (testing AIM 1)

Participants

•128 undergraduates used in the study and all received course credits for participating. The participants volunteered to be in the study.

•77% of the participants were female (99 females, 29 males).

•Mean age of participants was 20.8 years.

•Participants were randomly assigned to the “love” group (n=63) or the control group (n=65). 

Open Ended

What was the experimental method used in the study? what are advantages and disadvantages of using this method?

Experiment 1 (Method)

•Independent measures design

•IV: 2 levels--whether a participant had the false belief that they had enjoyed asparagus as a child embedded during the second part of the experiment; participants who received no false beliefs (control).

•DV: ratings on critical items measured through the five questionnaires. 

• •Participants (in groups of 8) told they were going to take part in a study about ‘food preferences and personality’. This deception limited demand characteristics through awareness of the aim.

• •1st week participants completed FHI and RQ surveys. They also completed three other questionnaires to distract them from the aim.

• They were randomly allocated to ‘love’ or ‘control’ condition  ‘love’ condition had ‘you loved to eat cooked asparagus’ in their report and completed questionnaires again

Experiment 1: Results

• Questionnaire scores increased for the ‘love’ condition. More desire to eat the food. Rated liking asparagus much more highly . Were willing to pay more for asparagus

Conclusion of Experiment 1

•The love group believers had a greater intention to eat asparagus in a restaurant in the future.

•This same group also had a greater preference for asparagus. Additionally, they were willing to pay more for asparagus

Experiment 2 Aim

•1. To examine the underlying mechanisms of the false memory consequence if, after the false love of asparagus manipulation, the very sight of asparagus was more appealing to participants.

•2. To replicate the findings of experiment 1.

Experiment 2 Variables

IV: love or control group

DV: scores given on a picture show

Sample

•103 undergrads from University of Washington: 62% female and overall mean age was 19.9 yrs. 

All received course credits for participating in the study. The were assigned to either the love group (n=58) or the control group (n=45).

Design and procedure( Session 1) experiment 2

•Participants were told their data would be entered into a computer that would generate a profile on them.

•All completed the FHI, the FPQ and the RQ surveys (similar to Exp 1).

•To disguise true nature of experiment, participants were given 2 “filler” questionnaires to complete.

Design and procedure (Session 2) experiment 2

•Participants given false feedback about their responses. 

•Critical item: “You loved asparagus the first time you ate it.”

•Control grp: given no information about asparagus

•Love group: completed an elaboration exercise where they had to answer questions about their memory of this event. If they struggled to remember, they were asked to imagine what might have happened.  Also asked age, location, and what they were doing at the time of the event and how it made them feel.

•All asked to answer open-ended question.

•Looked at 20 slides of foods for 30 secs each and rated them based on four criteria:

Criteria

•1. How appetizing food was in picture

•2. how disgusting food was in picture

•3. whether photo was taken by a novice, amateur, or professional

•4. artistic quality of picture.

•All then completed the FPQ, RQ, and FHI , and M/B questionnaires

•All participants were debriefed after completing questionnaires 

Results Experiment 2

•Love grp: mean confidence in love of asparagus increased by 2.5

•Control grp: mean confidence increased by 1.07

•Difference is significant

•M/B questionnaire: Results went in expected direction but not signif. (those told they loved asparagus had a greater chance of generating a false memory. Critical asparagus event increased by 5.4 in love group and 3.5 in control.

•Believers/non: rating by believers for confidence increased from 1.95 in session 1 to 6.48 in session 2. Non: went from mean of 1.42 to 1.68.

Session 2 Results cont.

•Consequences of false beliefs: Neither group’s rating changed signif. from session 1 to session 2 on RQ.

FPQ believers reported more desire to eat asparagus than control grp in session 2. 

Conclusion of Experiment 2

•Participants can be given positive false food beliefs that have consequences.

•Participants who believed the false feedback were more likely to rate asparagus as more appetizing and less disgusting.

Evaluation

Using the GRAVE ACRONYM evaluate the Laney(2008) study

Open Ended

Evaluation of the Laney Study using the GRAVE Acronym

END!!!!!