title: Psychophysiological correlates of the misinformation effect.
abstract: The misinformation effect refers to memory impairment that arises after exposure to misleading information (Loftus, 2005, p. 361). The present study focuses on the peripheral psychophysiology of false memories induced in a misleading information paradigm. On the basis of Sokolov's orienting reflex and studies concerning the Concealed Information Test (CIT, Lykken, 1959), the main hypothesis assumes differences between true and false memories in terms of the accompanying autonomic measures. It also is assumed that a cued recall of original information preceding the recollection phase reduces misinformation effects. Seventy-five participants watched a video that included nine randomized details. After a ten-minute retention phase, the subjects read a narrative text. Six out of the nine details were replaced by misleading details. Following this, the participants completed a cued recall task for three of the original items. In a subsequent CIT with truthful answering electrodermal responses, phasic heart rate, respiration, and response behavior were measured. Finally, the level of confidence and source monitoring were assessed. The misinformation effect was replicated with newly developed materials in three recollection tasks. Cued recall had no influence on the misinformation effect. Autonomic measures did not differ between true and false memories in the CIT. Electrodermal responses reflected the subjective importance the participants attributed to details in the source monitoring task. Therefore, electrodermal responses are interpreted as a correlate of subjective remembering in a misinformation paradigm.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Frontier Areas of Psychology and Mental Health, Wilhelmstraße 3a, D-79098 Freiburg, Germany. Electronic address: volz@igpp.de.
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Volz
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Engelbergerstraße 41, D-79085 Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Leonhart
authors.affiliation: Bender Institute of Neuroimaging, University of Giessen, Otto-Behaghel-Straße 10h, D-35394 Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stark
authors.affiliation: Institute for Frontier Areas of Psychology and Mental Health, Wilhelmstraße 3a, D-79098 Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vaitl
authors.affiliation: Institute for Frontier Areas of Psychology and Mental Health, Wilhelmstraße 3a, D-79098 Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ambach
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology*; D003463:Cues; D008192:Deception; D005260:Female; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Autonomic measures; Concealed information test; Cued recall; Electrodermal activity; False memory; Misinformation paradigm