Aging Does Not Enhance Social Contagion Effect

Studies on the social contagion of memory show that it is possible to create false memories from the wrong responses from other people without requiring their physical presence. The current study examined age differences between false memories via the modified social contagion paradigm. Twenty older...

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Main Authors: Susana Carnero-Sierra, Julio Menor
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2021-08-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.691229/full
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author Susana Carnero-Sierra
Julio Menor
author_facet Susana Carnero-Sierra
Julio Menor
author_sort Susana Carnero-Sierra
collection DOAJ
description Studies on the social contagion of memory show that it is possible to create false memories from the wrong responses from other people without requiring their physical presence. The current study examined age differences between false memories via the modified social contagion paradigm. Twenty older and twenty younger adults were shown six household scenes and were exposed to the erroneous memory reports of an implied confederate who was not physically present. The presentation time of the scenes and the typicality of the contagion items were manipulated. The participants watched each scene individually and then took turns giving their recall responses with the responses belonging to a fictional participant provided by written cards. The results in a final individual recall test indicated a significant contagion effect in both groups of participants. Additionally, an effect of the typicality of the contagion items was observed, such that the more typical items produced more contagion than the less typical items. In relation to true recall, the older adults remembered significantly fewer items from the scenes than the younger ones and obtained a lower score in the word list subtest of the Weschler Memory Scale. Although the older group had an episodic memory deficit, they were not more susceptible to being affected by the wrong responses of other people than younger group.
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spelling doaj.art-d71460f8254845fb82eef256a4aec26e2022-12-21T18:32:28ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782021-08-011210.3389/fpsyg.2021.691229691229Aging Does Not Enhance Social Contagion EffectSusana Carnero-SierraJulio MenorStudies on the social contagion of memory show that it is possible to create false memories from the wrong responses from other people without requiring their physical presence. The current study examined age differences between false memories via the modified social contagion paradigm. Twenty older and twenty younger adults were shown six household scenes and were exposed to the erroneous memory reports of an implied confederate who was not physically present. The presentation time of the scenes and the typicality of the contagion items were manipulated. The participants watched each scene individually and then took turns giving their recall responses with the responses belonging to a fictional participant provided by written cards. The results in a final individual recall test indicated a significant contagion effect in both groups of participants. Additionally, an effect of the typicality of the contagion items was observed, such that the more typical items produced more contagion than the less typical items. In relation to true recall, the older adults remembered significantly fewer items from the scenes than the younger ones and obtained a lower score in the word list subtest of the Weschler Memory Scale. Although the older group had an episodic memory deficit, they were not more susceptible to being affected by the wrong responses of other people than younger group.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.691229/fullfalse memorysocial contagionmemory illusionsagingfalse recall
spellingShingle Susana Carnero-Sierra
Julio Menor
Aging Does Not Enhance Social Contagion Effect
Frontiers in Psychology
false memory
social contagion
memory illusions
aging
false recall
title Aging Does Not Enhance Social Contagion Effect
title_full Aging Does Not Enhance Social Contagion Effect
title_fullStr Aging Does Not Enhance Social Contagion Effect
title_full_unstemmed Aging Does Not Enhance Social Contagion Effect
title_short Aging Does Not Enhance Social Contagion Effect
title_sort aging does not enhance social contagion effect
topic false memory
social contagion
memory illusions
aging
false recall
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.691229/full
work_keys_str_mv AT susanacarnerosierra agingdoesnotenhancesocialcontagioneffect
AT juliomenor agingdoesnotenhancesocialcontagioneffect