Item-method directed forgetting and perceived truth of news headlines

Bibliographic Data

ID21602128
AuthorsMagdalena Abel (0000-0003-0107-3255, Department of Experimental Psychology, Regensburg University, Regensburg, Germany, corresponding author), Karl-Heinz T Bäuml (0000-0002-4966-9288, Department of Experimental Psychology, Regensburg University, Regensburg, Germany)
Year2023
Volume31
Issue10
Pages1371-1386
Publication date2023-11-26
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueMemory (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0965-8211 • E-ISSN: 1464-0686
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/09658211.2023.2267191
PMID37819019
OpenAlexW4387539973
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited74

Research on item-method directed forgetting (IMDF) suggests that memories can be voluntarily forgotten. IMDF is however usually examined with relatively simple study materials, such as single words or pictures. In the present study, we examined voluntary forgetting of news headlines from (presumably) untrustworthy sources. Experiment 1 found intact IMDF when to-be-forgotten headlines were characterised as untrustworthy and to-be-remembered headlines were characterised as trustworthy. Experiment 2 separated remember/forget cues and trustworthiness prompts. Forget cues alone had a large effect on memory, but only a small reducing effect on perceived truth. In contrast, trustworthiness prompts alone had essentially no effect on memory, but a large effect on perceived truth. Finally, Experiment 3 fully crossed forget/remember cues and trustworthiness prompts, revealing that forget cues can reduce memory irrespective of whether headlines are characterised as trustworthy or untrustworthy. Moreover, forget cues may bias source attributions, which can explain their small reducing effect on perceived truth. Overall, this work suggests that news headlines can be voluntarily forgotten. At least when people are motivated to forget information from untrustworthy sources, such forgetting may be helpful for curtailing the spread of false information

Attribution · Cognitive psychology · Forgetting · Motivated forgetting · Retrieval-induced forgetting · Trustworthiness · Memory Processes and Influences · Misinformation and Its Impacts · Psychological and Educational Research Studies · Psychology · Social Psychology

Tools

Open DOI