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The memory‐impairing effects of simulated amnesia for a mock crime
Author(s) -
Romeo Tameka,
Otgaar Henry,
Smeets Tom,
Landström Sara,
Jelicic Marko
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
applied cognitive psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.719
H-Index - 100
eISSN - 1099-0720
pISSN - 0888-4080
DOI - 10.1002/acp.3508
Subject(s) - amnesia , psychology , denial , recall , test (biology) , memory test , cognitive psychology , session (web analytics) , memory errors , commit , false memory , memory disorder , developmental psychology , cognition , cognitive disorder , psychiatry , cognitive impairment , psychoanalysis , paleontology , world wide web , computer science , biology , database
Summary The present study examined whether mock offenders, who were instructed to falsely deny crime details or to simulate amnesia, would consequently experience impaired memory. Ninety‐three university students were first asked to commit a mock crime and were then assigned to three different conditions (i.e., false denial, simulated amnesia, and truth telling) and then received the first memory test. The following day, participants completed a second memory test. Results showed that the memory impairment was not observed in participants in the false denial condition. However, in the simulated amnesia group, memory about being interviewed in the first session was impaired. The simulated amnesia group also had lower recollection and belief ratings in the occurrence of true details for the mock event. Findings suggest that after simulating amnesia, offenders can forget details related to the interview and exhibit diminished ratings for the recollection of and belief in their memory for experienced events.