HPS773 Assignment: Analyzing False Memories in the DRM Paradigm

This report provides an introduction to a laboratory report on the DRM (Deese, Roediger, and McDermott) paradigm, a method used in cognitive psychology to study false memories. The introduction outlines the importance of the study, explaining the DRM procedure and the underlying mechanisms of false memories, including semantic activation, trauma, depression, and stress. The aim of the study is to identify DRM errors based on visual imagery and list type, and to analyze whether imagery instructions depict false memories. The report details the methods and participants of the experiment conducted on undergraduate students, including the use of recall booklets, imagery scales, and projector presentations. The results section discusses the calculation of imagery ratings, implications of the study, and limitations. The report further explores the role of theme identifiability in the rejection of false memories, with a focus on the identify-to-reject strategy. The methodology involves participants completing a standard DRM false memory procedure with different instruction groups: control, identify-to-reject, and imagery.