Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Development of Long-Term Retention pp 184–216Cite as

The Role of Memory Impairment in Children’s Suggestibility

  • Chapter

Abstract

A central issue in the study of children’s long-term retention is an understanding of children’s susceptibility to memory failures. It has long been recognized that an important cause of memory failures is interference caused by new learning. Recently, interest in memory failures caused by subsequent learning has been revived in the context of studies on suggestibility and eyewitness memory. These studies have shown that, for subjects of all ages, exposure to misinformation (i.e., false information presented as truth) after viewing an event can lead to profound decrements in performance on later tests of memory for the originally seen event.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Bekerian, D.A., & Bowers, J.M. (1983). Eyewitness testimony: Were we misled? Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 9, 139–145.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bowman, L.L., & Zaragoza, M.S. (1989). Similarity of encoding context does not influence resistance to memory impairment following misinformation. American Journal of Psychology, 102, 249–264.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brainerd, C.J., & Reyna, V.F. (1988). Memory loci of suggestibility development: Comment on Ceci, Ross, and Toglia. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 117, 197–200.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brainerd, C.J., Reyna, V.F., Howe, M.L., & Kingma, J. (1990). The development of forgetting and reminiscence. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 55(3–4, Serial No. 222).

    Google Scholar 

  • Ceci, S.J., Ross, D.F., & Toglia, M.P. (1987). Suggestibility of children’s memory: Psycholegal implications. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 116, 38–49.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chandler, C.C. (1989). Specific retroactive interference in Modified Recognition Tests: Evidence for an unknown cause of interference. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 15, 256–265.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Christiaansen, R.E., & Ochalek, K. (1983). Editing misleading information from memory: Evidence for the coexistence of original and postevent information. Memory & Cognition, 11, 467–475.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, R.L., & Harnick, M.A. (1980). The susceptibility of child witnesses to suggestion. Law and Human Behavior, 4, 201–210.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crowder, R.G. (1976). Principles of learning and memory. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dodd, D.H., & Bradshaw, J.M. (1980). Leading questions and memory: Pragmatic constraints. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 21, 207–219.

    Google Scholar 

  • Duncan, E.M., Whitney, P., & Kunen, S. (1982). Integration of visual and verbal information in children’s memory. Child Development, 83, 1215–1223.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Foley, M.A., Aman, C, & Gutch, D. (1987). Discriminating between action memories: Children’s use of kinesthetic cues and visible consequences. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 44, 335–347.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Foley, M.A., & Johnson, M.K. (1985). Confusions between memories for performed and imagined actions: A developmental comparison. Child Development, 56, 1145–1155.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Foley, M.A., Johnson, M.K., & Raye, CL. (1983). Age-related changes in confusion between memories for thoughts and memories for speech. Child Development, 54, 51–60.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Goodman, G.S., & Reed, R.S. (1986). Age differences in eyewitness testimony. Law and Human Behavior, 10, 317–332.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hasher, L., & Thomas, H. (1973). A developmental study of retention. Developmental Psychology, 9, 281.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hashtroudi, S., Johnson, M., & Chrosniak, L. (1989). Aging and source monitoring. Psychology and Aging, 4, 106–112.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, M.K., & Foley, M.A. (1984). Differentiating fact from fantasy: The reliability of children’s memory. Journal of Social Issues, 40, 33–50. Johnson, M.K., & Raye, CL. (1981). Reality monitoring. Psychological Review, 88, 67–85.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, M.K., Raye, CL., Hasher, L., & Chromiak, W. (1979). Are there developmental differences in reality-monitoring? Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 27, 120–128.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koppenaal, R.J., Krull, A., & Katz, H. (1964). Age, interference, and forgetting. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 1, 360–375.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liben, L.S., & Posnansky, C.J. (1977). Inferences on inferences: The effects of age, transitive ability, memory load, and lexical factors. Child Development, 48, 1490–1497.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lindsay, D.S. (1990). Misleading suggestions can impair eyewitness’s ability to remember event details. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 16, 1077–1083.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lindsay, D.S., & Johnson, M.K. (1987). Reality monitoring and suggestibility: Children’s ability to discriminate among memories from different sources. In S.J. Ceci, M.P. Toglia, & D.F, Ross (Eds.) Children’s eyewitness memory (pp. 92–121). New York: Springer-Verlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lindsay, D.S., & Johnson, M.K. (1989). The eyewitness suggestibility effect and memory for source. Memory & Cognition, 17, 349–358.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Loomis, D., & Hall, V. (1968). The effects of age and overlearning in an A-B, A-C design using high and low H value. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 7, 182–188.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Loftus, E.F. (1975). Leading questions and the eyewitness report. Cognitive Psychology, 7, 560–572.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Loftus, E.F. (1977). Shifting human color memory. Memory and Cognition, 5, 696–699.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Loftus, E.F. (1979a). Eyewitness testimony. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Loftus, E.F. (1979b). The malleability of human memory. American Scientist, 67, 312–320.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Loftus, E.F., & Davies, G.M. (1984). Distortions in the memory of children. Journal of Social Issues, 40, 51–67.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Loftus, E.F., & Loftus, G.R. (1980). On the permanence of stored information in the human brain. American Psychologist, 35, 409–420.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Loftus, E.F., Miller, D.G., & Burns, H.J. (1978). Semantic integration of verbal information into a visual memory. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Learning and Memory, 4, 19–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Loftus, E.F., & Palmer, J.E. (1974). Reconstruction of automobile destruction: An example of the interaction between language and memory. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 13, 585–589.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Loftus, E. F., Schooler, J. W., & Wagenaar, W. (1985). The fate of memory: Comment on McCloskey and Zaragoza. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 114, 375–380.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Madigan, S.A. (1969). Intraserial repetition and coding processes in free recall. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 8, 828–835.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marin, B.V., Holmes, D.L., Guth, M., & Kovak, P. (1979). The potential of children as eyewitnesses. Law and Human Behavior, 3, 295–305.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCloskey, M., & Zaragoza, M. (1985a). Misleading postevent information and memory for events: Arguments and evidence against memory impairment hypotheses. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 114, 3–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCloskey, M., & Zaragoza, M. (1985b). Postevent information and memory: Reply to Loftus, Schooler, and Wagenaar. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 114, 381–387.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Merriman, W.E., Azmita, M., & Perlmutter, M. (1988). Rate of forgetting in early childhood. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 11, 467–474.

    Google Scholar 

  • Metcalfe, J. (1990). Composite holographic associative recall model (CHARM) and blended memories in eyewitness testimony. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 119, 145–160.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nigro, G., & Dyk, C. (1989). Who done it? A developmental study of confusions between memories for performed and imagined actions. Poster presented at the biennial meetings of the Society for Research in Child Developmental, Kansas City, MO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paris, S.G., & Lindauer, B.K. (1976). The role of inference in children’s comprehension and memory for sentences. Cognitive Psychology, 8, 217–227.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paris, S.G., Lindauer, B.K., & Cox, G.L. (1977). The development of inferential comprehension. Child Development, 48, 1728–1733.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Postman, L., & Underwood, B.J. (1973). Critical issues in interference theory. Memory & Cognition, 11, 101–104.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rogoff, B., Newcombe, N., & Kagan, J. (1974). Planfulness and recognition memory. Child Development, 45, 972–977.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Weinberg, H.I., Wadsworth, J., & Baron, R.S. (1983). Demand and the impact of leading questions on eyewitness testimony. Memory & Cognition, 11, 101–104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wimmer, H., Hogrefe, J., & Sodian, B. (1988). A second stage in children’s conception of mental life: Understanding informational access as origins of knowledge and belief. In J.W. Astington, P.L. Harris, & D.R. Olson (Eds.), Developing theories of mind (pp. 173–192). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zaragoza, M.S. (1987). Memory, suggestibility, and eyewitness testimony in children and adults. In S.J. Ceci, M.P. Toglia, & D.F. Ross (Eds.), Children’s eyewitness memory (pp. 53–78). New York: Springer-Verlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zaragoza, M.S. (1991). Preschool children’s susceptibility to memory impairment. In J. Doris (Ed.), The suggestibility of children’s memory (with special reference to the child witness) (pp. 27–39). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zaragoza, M.S., & Koshmider, J.W. (1989). Misled subjects may know more than their performance implies. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 15, 246–255.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zaragoza, M.S., McCloskey, M., & Jamis, M. (1987). Misleading postevent information and recall of the original event: Further evidence against the memory impairment hypothesis. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 13, 36–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zaragoza, M.S., & Muench, J. (1989, November). Source confusion following exposure to misleading postevent information. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Atlanta, GA.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. Maria S. Zaragoza
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Donna Dahlgren
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jean Muench
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Memorial University, A1B 3X9, St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada

    Mark L. Howe PhD

  2. Department of Educational Psychology, University of Arizona, 85721, Tucson, AZ, USA

    Charles J. Brainerd  & Valerie F. Reyna PhD  & 

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1992 Springer-Verlag New York, Inc.

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Zaragoza, M.S., Dahlgren, D., Muench, J. (1992). The Role of Memory Impairment in Children’s Suggestibility. In: Howe, M.L., Brainerd, C.J., Reyna, V.F. (eds) Development of Long-Term Retention. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-2868-4_6

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-2868-4_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-7702-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4612-2868-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation