DRM false memory can be the result of a deliberate consideration

What is it about?

It is widely assumed that DRM false memory is the product of an automatic, spontaneous memory process driven by spreading activation of semantic meanings of words. However, this study has shown that there are two types of DRM false memory. One is the result of an automatic spreading activation which is fast and not under people's voluntary control. The other type is the result of a deliberate consideration which is a slow process. When the semantic-associate list is long (more than 7 items), the false recognition of the critical word (false memory) is faster than its correct rejection (true memory). When the list is under 7 items, the false recognition of the critical word (false memory) is slower than its correct rejection (true memory). Thus, whether DRM false memory is spontaneous and fast or deliberate and slow depends on how long the list of semantic associates that generates the false memory is. Unlike the common concept of false memory being a spontaneous process, some false memory is the product of a deliberate and controlled process.

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Why is it important?

The slow, deliberate type of false memory implicates a decision process in the generation of the DRM false memory.

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