6 Aug 2022

115

True Photographs and False Memories: How to Tell the Difference

Format: APA

Academic level: College

Paper type: Essay (Any Type)

Words: 807

Pages: 3

Downloads: 0

Question #1 

An abstract is a brief information about a paper. It is developed to provide readers with a complete but short understanding of a study. An abstract aims to give readers a summary of a project’s or study’s aims, purpose, hypothesis, methods, findings, and conclusions. 

Question #2 

When writing an APA-style paper, the four main sections that should be included are an introduction and methods section, results/findings, and a discussion part. The author can also include tables and figures. The provided study has all the sections required for an APA-style paper. 

It’s time to jumpstart your paper!

Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.

Get custom essay

Question #3 

The purpose of the study conducted by Lindsay et al. (2004) was to determine if childhood photos produce false memories of childhood events. The issue investigated by the study is a false memory of childhood events provided by images. 

Question #4 

Lindsay et al. (2004) conducted a study to test the hypothesis; if an individual believes that particular types of events happened during childhood and desires to remember the events, childhood photos provide detailed and clear images that can be combined with imagination results to produce convincing pseudo memories. The hypothesis was identified towards the end of the article’s introduction section. 

Question #5 

The study’s sample size was 45 (n=45). The participants voluntarily took part in the study and were given bonus points for an introduction to the psychology program as a reward. Information on the size of the sample used in a study is found in the first part of the methods section. 

Question #6 

Thirty-six participants were women, and nine were men. This information can be identified from the methods section, and precisely, in the sample characteristics sub-section. 

Question #7 

In the study, each participant’s parent gave a concise narrative of two outstanding school events; that their children experienced while in fifth or sixth grades. They also gave class photos for their children that corresponded with the years the events occurred. Moreover, they provided the name and gender of each child’s first and second grades teachers. The researcher read a narrative for each participant and asked him/her to remember it. They started with the fifth and sixth-grade events and then the first and second grades pseudo-events. Twenty-three participants were offered a photocopy of class photos that matched the year before the read narrative randomly. Participants were helped to remember each event’s details through guided imagery activities and reinstating mental contexts (Lindsay et al., 2004). The participants rated their memorable experiences on a scale of 1-7. In the second session of the study’s procedure, participants were asked to concentrate their efforts on remembering the oldest situations that occurred in their lives (pseudo-events). They were provided with a copy of the narrative, and the ones in the photo condition, the researchers gave a class photocopy (Lindsay et al., 2004). Participants were to use the materials provided to remember the events in the following week. Two judges reviewed the outcomes of the activities. The above information on procedures was obtained from the method’s section of the article. 

Question #8 

The study’s main finding is that the number of false memory reports increased in cases where a suggestive influence was supplemented with a pseudo-event photo. As a result, the number of reports based on false memory was higher in the current study than in a similar study conducted by the researchers in the past. Although the judges used strict criteria to determine if participants had memories related to the given events, two-thirds of the individuals in the photo category experienced false memories. Participants with false memories had increased rates of the levels to which they were convinced that they recalled their respective events. Besides, they were more convinced that the events had happened. Also, the researchers found that the rating participants gave of the pseudo-events memories compared to the ranking of other real events that occurred later in their childhoods. Pseudo memories were compelling to a significant extent. The information on the study’s main finding was identified in the discussion section of the article. 

Question #9 

The findings supported the study’s hypotheses. The researcher hypothesized that childhood photos could generate strong pseudo-memories. They also hypothesized that the number of false reports would be more in the photo category than in the narrative group of participants. The study’s findings support the two hypotheses because participants had convincing pseudo-memories caused by the photos, and false reports were high in participants allocated the photo condition. Therefore, the two hypotheses were accepted. The researchers should determine if their study’s photo impact can be generalized to other types of childhood pseudo-events. Currently, the study’s findings are not generalizable on different kinds of pseudo-events. Therefore, they are particular to the studied event. 

Question #10 

A study that determines the risks associated with encouraging individuals to assess old photos to remember events of sexual abuse during childhood should be conducted. The findings of such a study can guide the development of interventions to mitigate or address such risks to prevent emotional harm on participants. Besides, the results can be used to inform participants of the possible psychological harm they might experience during the procedure to give fully informed consent. The study raises the question of what interventions can help sexual abuse victims have actual memories of their childhood events related to sexual abuse. Based on the study’s findings, the use of photos in assisting individuals in remembering sexual abuse events when they were children is not reliable or effective because the chances of having a false memory are high. Researchers should identify more effective ways to help individuals recall events accurately. 

Reference 

Lindsay, D. S., Hagen, L., Read, J. D., Wade, K. A., & Garry, M. (2004). True photographs and false memories.  Psychological Science 15 (3), 149-154. 

Illustration
Cite this page

Select style:

Reference

StudyBounty. (2023, September 15). True Photographs and False Memories: How to Tell the Difference.
https://studybounty.com/true-photographs-and-false-memories-how-to-tell-the-difference-essay

illustration

Related essays

We post free essay examples for college on a regular basis. Stay in the know!

19 Sep 2023
Psychology

How to Do a SWOT Analysis for Your Business

Running head: SWOT ANALYSIS 1 SWOT Analysis Strengths Strong communication skills Strong creativity and analytical skills I am able to think critically I have emotional intelligence, which helps me to relate...

Words: 284

Pages: 1

Views: 75

19 Sep 2023
Psychology

Letter of Consent for Research Study

Running head: LETTER OF CONSENT 1 Letter of Consent for Research Study Dear (Participant’s Name): You are invited to participate in a research study on the Routine Activity theory and the hypothesis that the lack...

Words: 283

Pages: 1

Views: 360

17 Sep 2023
Psychology

Mental Representations and the Mind-Brain Relationship

Often, contemporary controversies underlie the interpretation of the mental representations and the mind-brain relationships through concepts such as monolism, dualism and exclusivity. In my view, the dualism concept...

Words: 1796

Pages: 7

Views: 168

17 Sep 2023
Psychology

Building a Healthy Marriage

Although sometimes marriage can be problematic, it can also be one of the most rewarding experiences for couples. For instance, couples in a satisfying marriage enjoy happiness, a long and enjoyable life, personal...

Words: 1266

Pages: 5

Views: 345

17 Sep 2023
Psychology

Devastating Impacts of Domestic Violence

The issue of domestic violence is a growing concern in the present society. Women serve as the key victims of domestic violence, although men and children also feel the devastating effects as well. When couples are...

Words: 2437

Pages: 9

Views: 78

17 Sep 2023
Psychology

How Emotions Affect Marketing and Sales

The most appealing advertisements use the audience’s emotions as their leverage. They instill fear and the psychology of pain, moderately, to their subjects and use that to their advantage. To remain ethical, most of...

Words: 1113

Pages: 4

Views: 96

illustration

Running out of time?

Entrust your assignment to proficient writers and receive TOP-quality paper before the deadline is over.

Illustration