Psychophysiology of False Memories in a Deese-Roediger-McDermott Paradigm with Visual Scenes

Remembering something that has not in fact been experienced is commonly referred to as false memory. The Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm is a well-elaborated approach to this phenomenon. This study attempts to investigate the peripheral physiology of false memories induced in a visual DRM paradigm. The main research question is whether false recognition is different from true recognition in terms of accompanying physiological responses. Sixty subjects participated in the experiment, which included a study phase with visual scenes each showing a group of interrelated items in social contexts. Subjects were divided into an experimental group undergoing a classical DRM design and a control group without DRM manipulation. The control group was implemented in order to statistically control for possible biases produced by memorability differences between stimulus types. After a short retention interval, a pictorial recognition phase was conducted in the manner of a Concealed Information Test. Simultaneous recordings of electrodermal activity, respiration line length, phasic heart rate, and finger pulse waveform length were used. Results yielded a significant Group by Item Type interaction, showing that true recognition is accompanied by greater electrodermal activity than false recognition. Results are discussed in the light of Sokolov's Orienting Reflex, the Preliminary Process Theory and the Concealed Information Test. Implications and restrictions of the introduced design features are critically discussed. This study demonstrates the applicability of measures of peripheral physiology to the field of false memory research.

对并未实际经历过的事物产生记忆，通常被称为错误记忆（false memory）。迪泽-罗迪格-麦克德莫特（Deese-Roediger-McDermott，DRM）范式是研究该现象的成熟研究范式。本研究旨在探究视觉DRM范式下诱发的错误记忆的外周生理学特征。本研究的核心科学问题在于：错误再认与真实再认在伴随的生理反应层面是否存在差异。本实验共招募60名被试，实验包含学习阶段：该阶段呈现多组视觉场景，每组场景均展示社会情境下的一系列相关物品。被试被分为两组：实验组采用经典DRM范式设计，对照组则不进行DRM范式操纵。设置对照组的目的是从统计学层面控制由不同刺激类型的记忆易感性差异所引发的潜在偏差。经过短暂的保持间隔后，本实验采用隐蔽信息测试（Concealed Information Test，CIT）的范式开展图片再认阶段实验。实验同时采集了多项生理指标：皮肤电活动、呼吸线长、阶段性心率以及指脉波形长度。实验结果发现，组别与刺激类型存在显著的交互效应，表明真实再认伴随的皮肤电活动强度显著高于错误再认。本研究结合索科洛夫的定向反射（Orienting Reflex）、初步过程理论（Preliminary Process Theory）以及隐蔽信息测试范式对实验结果进行了讨论。研究还对本实验设计的应用前景与局限性进行了批判性探讨。本研究证实了外周生理学测量手段在错误记忆研究领域的应用可行性。