Misinformation effect

As misinformation effect (even rarer than misinformation effect, Eng. Misinformation effect, Loftus, 1993) is known in social psychology, the inclusion of false information in memories. The effect is often used as an illustration that memories are not passive " played " but actively reconstructed and can be affected because of this by currently available information.

Illustration of the effect

In a study by Roediger, Meade, and Bergman (2001) subjects had a fifteen minute conversation with a confidant of the experimenter. Then the subjects were either told the interlocutor they find sympathetic or unsympathetic. Told the subjects that they find congenial partner, they remembered her as "warm, cordial, nice". Told the subjects the contrary, she remembered the partner as " unsympathetic, cold, repellent ."

Theoretical explanation

The misinformation effect can be explained by the cross- organization of knowledge within the memory. Information is stored frequently schematically in memory (eg Bartlett, 1932). These cognitive schemas can be seen as prototypes of events, situations, understand classes of objects or groups of persons. Cognitive schemas have therefore " space" that can be filled out either by directly available information (eg incorrect information ) or inferences and for this reason the " remembered " experience of the actual experience may vary.