Reliability

1. Reliability of Memory

2. Learning Outcomes
 With reference to relevant research studies, to what extent is
memory reliable?
 We are learning about how memories can change and be
manipulated.
 We are learning this because it will let us explore how much we
can trust our memories.
 At the end of this lesson, we should be able to make a claim
about the reliability of memory and justify it with evidence.

3. Your Task
 Watch the following Video and answer the questions on your
questionnaire.
 Pay attention to details.
 Loftus and Palmer (1974)

4. Your Instructions
 Record your estimated speed under the correct category and
calculate the speed for each category.

5. Loftus & Palmer (1974)
Aim: To investigate whether the use of
leading questions would affect recall in a
situation where participants were asked to
estimate speed.
Method: College students were shown a
video of a car crash and asked to answer
the question “About how fast were the cars
going when they into
each other?”
Smashed, Hit, Collided, bumped, contacted…All
varying degrees of severity

6. Loftus & Palmer (1974) Continued
Findings: The mean estimates of speed
were highest in the “smashed” condition
(40.8 mph) and the lowest in the
“contacted” group (31.8 mph).
Conclusions: Memory can be manipulated
by using specific words when asking a
question.
Humans recreate memory using our
schemas which are impacted by wording of
questions.
Explanation
Critical Thinking?

7. Wade et al. (2002
 Aim: To investigate the extent that memories can be manipulated.
 Method:
 20 Adult Participants
 Showed participants a photoshopped image of them as a child on a hot air
balloon ride.
 Interviewed participants over the two week period on their memories.
 Findings: One half of all participants recalled false or partially false
memories about the Hot Air Balloon Ride.
 Conclusion: False memories can be created.
 Critical Thinking?

8. Loftus’s Theory of Recall
Original
Experience
Integration of
original
Experience into
LTM
Integration of
new info into
LTM
Question
Asked/New
Stimuli
Reconstructio
n of Memory
w/ new info
Response to
Question

9. Loftus et al. (2012)
Aim: To investigate whether misinformation
could affect memory for a recently
experienced, personally relevant, highly
stressful event.
Method:
Provided misinformation to 800 military
personnel about the interrogator in a mock POW
camp interrogation as part of their Survival
School Training.
Questions asked about the physical appearance
of the interrogator (Glasses? Weapon?)
Asked the participants to identify the interrogator
by looking at photographs.

10. Loftus et al (2012)
Findings: More than half of the participants
inaccurately identified their interrogator.
Conclusion: Memories for stressful events
are highly vulnerable to modification by
exposure to misinformation, even in
individuals whose level of training and
experience might help them be more
immune to such influences.
Critical Thinking? Connections?

12. Picking Cotton
What does this example show about the nature of
memory?
What factors do you think influenced the memories of the
eyewitness in this story?
What does this show about the reliance on memory in the
courtroom. Should it ever be trusted?

13. Loftus TED Questions
Should people be negatively judged if they
have false memories? Why or why not?
Is it ever ethical to create false memories?
Why or why not?

14. Donald Trump False Memories
What factors influenced Trump’s memories of
9/11?
Should he be negatively judged because of his
false memory? Why or why not?
What does this show about the nature of
memory?

15. Salvador Dali
“The difference between false memories
and true ones is the same as for jewels: it
is always the false ones that look the most
real, the most beautiful.”

16. Discussion Questions
 What factors could be impacting the memories of
eyewitnesses?
 In Ferguson, to what extent can we trust the eye
witness accounts?
 Should eye witness accounts be used in determining
whether the Officer should be put on put on trial for
murder?
 How accurate do you think your memory is? Are there
times when it is better or worse?
 How can we apply these ideas to areas outside of the
courtroom?

17. Line Up Warm Up
 Which number did you choose?
 On a 0-10 scale How confident were you that you were
correct?
 If you were in a witness, would you be willing to testify?
 What does this simulation show about the reliability of
memory?