False memories for dissonance inducing events
Item
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Title
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False memories for dissonance inducing events
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Identifier
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d_2009_2013:38d6fc100a7d:11758
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identifier
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12374
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Creator
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Rodriguez, Dario N.,
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Contributor
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Deryn Strange
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Date
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2013
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Social psychology | Cognitive psychology | cognitive dissonance | false memories
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Abstract
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Memories serve as a "database" of the self and people may produce distorted memories that support their self-concepts. Dissonance theory suggests self-consistency is a fundamental human motivation. Inconsistency between beliefs and actions leads people to adopt various strategies to effectively restore consonance. Because instances of dissonance are counter to most people's self-concept, people may misremember past dissonance-inducing events in ways that promote their self-concept (i.e., consistency). Current models of memory and motivated cognition, specifically M. A. Conway's (2005) self-memory system (SMS), can incorporate dissonance processes and account for false memories. In the current report, we describe the results of two experiments designed to establish the link between cognitive dissonance and false memories.;In Experiment 1 participants made either an easy or a difficult choice between two smart phones. Either immediately or two days later, participants reported their memories for their decision experience and phone specifications. Participants in the difficult choice conditions produced the expected spread of alternatives effect and were more likely than those in the easy conditions to misremember their initial decision as easier and more satisfactory than they had initially rated it. Delay did not influence participants' memories.;In Experiment 2, participants either chose or were forced to write a counterattitudinal essay supporting a tuition increase and were afforded the opportunity to reduce dissonance via attitude shift or denial of responsibility by way of a question-order manipulation embedded in a questionnaire. They then reported their memories for the experimental instructions and their initial attitudes (assessed via online questionnaire two days prior to the laboratory session). Participants who chose to write the essay shifted their attitudes to be more favorable toward a tuition increase than those who were forced to write the essay. Additionally, they misremembered their initial attitudes as more favorable toward a tuition increase, and were more likely to misremember the experimental instruction. We did not replicate the denial of responsibility mode of dissonance reduction. Overall, the results from the present studies provide preliminary evidence that cognitive dissonance can yield memory distortion under certain circumstances. Theoretical implications and directions for future research are discussed.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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2009_2013.csv
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degree
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Ph.D.
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Program
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Psychology
