Introduction

How accurate IS human memory? Can we count on memory to accurately recall text material when we write a test? Can we count on memory to accurately identify a perpetrator if we witness a crime? A large volume of research in this area has demonstrated that humans are prone to making errors when performing recall and recognition tasks. Unless you have received a hundred percent on every test you studied hard for, you are probably familiar with the problem! Interestingly, psychologists often find a pattern in the errors that are made in recall and recognition tasks; participants frequently include items that are related in some way to the to-be-remembered material when making their report. For example, participants asked to recall what they saw when sitting in an office may report they saw a desk lamp, even if no lamp was actually present. This pattern is likely the result of the role that cognitive schemas, or networks of knowledge, play in our cognitive life. When recalling a given item, closely related items will also be activated and may be falsely reported, even when the participant is fully aware that this problem may occur. By the end of this experiment, you will see for yourself whether you too will generate false memories.