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False Memory Phenomena. James Raftery Psy/Orf 322 Spring 2004. Can we trust our memory? . Victim Testimony “Repressed” abuse in therapy. What is the issue? . Memory as constructive process Coherent memory Bits of actual memory Context Repetition. False Memory Experiment.
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False Memory Phenomena James Raftery Psy/Orf 322 Spring 2004
Can we trust our memory? • Victim Testimony • “Repressed” abuse in therapy
What is the issue? • Memory as constructive process • Coherent memory • Bits of actual memory • Context • Repetition
False Memory Experiment • Quantitative Measurements • Inherent difficulties • Simple measurable tasks = little error • Reproductive VS Reconstructive? • Henry Roediger/Kathleen McDermott’s experiments
Method • Lists of Words • “Critical Lure” • Bidirectional associations • 42-item lists read aloud • Subject wrote down as many as could be remembered without ‘guessing’ • At the end asked to judge if they had seen certain words on the list
Experiment Results • Critical Lure 55% (higher than in exp1) • Recall Condition Enhanced Effect • Had physical memories of the lures
Implications • False Memory is quantifiable • All memory is constructive, not reproductive – even rote recall • Effects were substantial in a lab setting, in a traumatic situation effects are likely even more powerful
Parallel Distributed Process • Experiences are represented in the mind by their several aspects (within descriptive categories) • Different experiences share aspects • Connections between two aspects are strengthened when both are activated
Dynamic Nature Of PDP Memory • Later events alter connections • When one aspect is used as trigger for memory, it activates all others that it is connected with • A lack of a strong connection will allow for several weak connections to be asserted, giving rise to confusion or generalization
False Memory Simulator • Purpose: To replicate Roediger and McDermott’s results with a neural network • All words in list related to each other • Primarily activate themselves, but to some extent activate similar words • If a word (critical lure) reaches a certain threshold of excitement it will register as having been on the list
Implementation • Each word has a weight with all other words on list • Weights stored in a matrix • Strong weight associated between a word and itself • Vector of input words put through matrix determines net excitation of all words • If a specific threshold is reached, the network will output it as a recalled word