The effects of co-witness discussion on confidence and precision in eyewitness memory reports

Authors: Rechdan, J., Hope, L., Sauer, J.D., Sauerland, M., Ost, J. and Merckelbach, H.

Journal: Memory

Volume: 26

Issue: 7

Pages: 904-912

eISSN: 1464-0686

ISSN: 0965-8211

DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2018.1448872

Abstract:

We examined the influence of co-witness discussion on the metacognitive regulation of memory reports. Participants (N = 92) watched a crime video. Later, a confederate confidently agreed with (gave confirming feedback), disagreed with (gave disconfirming feedback), or gave no feedback (control) regarding participants’ answers to questions about the video. Participants who received disconfirming feedback reported fewer fine-grain details than participants in the confirming and control conditions on a subsequent, individual recall test for a different question set. Unexpectedly, this decrease in fine-grain reporting was not accompanied by a decrease in participants’ confidence in the accuracy of their fine-grain responses. These results indicate that receiving social comparative feedback about one’s memory performance can affect rememberers’ metamemorial control decisions, and potentially decrease the level of detail they volunteer in later memory reports. Further research is needed to assess whether these results replicate under different experimental conditions, and to explore the effects of social influences on metamemory.

Source: Scopus

The effects of co-witness discussion on confidence and precision in eyewitness memory reports.

Authors: Rechdan, J., Hope, L., Sauer, J.D., Sauerland, M., Ost, J. and Merckelbach, H.

Journal: Memory

Volume: 26

Issue: 7

Pages: 904-912

eISSN: 1464-0686

DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2018.1448872

Abstract:

We examined the influence of co-witness discussion on the metacognitive regulation of memory reports. Participants (N = 92) watched a crime video. Later, a confederate confidently agreed with (gave confirming feedback), disagreed with (gave disconfirming feedback), or gave no feedback (control) regarding participants' answers to questions about the video. Participants who received disconfirming feedback reported fewer fine-grain details than participants in the confirming and control conditions on a subsequent, individual recall test for a different question set. Unexpectedly, this decrease in fine-grain reporting was not accompanied by a decrease in participants' confidence in the accuracy of their fine-grain responses. These results indicate that receiving social comparative feedback about one's memory performance can affect rememberers' metamemorial control decisions, and potentially decrease the level of detail they volunteer in later memory reports. Further research is needed to assess whether these results replicate under different experimental conditions, and to explore the effects of social influences on metamemory.

Source: PubMed

The effects of co-witness discussion on confidence and precision in eyewitness memory reports

Authors: Rechdan, J., Hope, L., Sauer, J.D., Sauerland, M., Ost, J. and Merckelbach, H.

Journal: MEMORY

Volume: 26

Issue: 7

Pages: 904-912

eISSN: 1464-0686

ISSN: 0965-8211

DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2018.1448872

Source: Web of Science (Lite)

The effects of co-witness discussion on confidence and precision in eyewitness memory reports.

Authors: Rechdan, J., Hope, L., Sauer, J.D., Sauerland, M., Ost, J. and Merckelbach, H.

Journal: Memory (Hove, England)

Volume: 26

Issue: 7

Pages: 904-912

eISSN: 1464-0686

ISSN: 0965-8211

DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2018.1448872

Abstract:

We examined the influence of co-witness discussion on the metacognitive regulation of memory reports. Participants (N = 92) watched a crime video. Later, a confederate confidently agreed with (gave confirming feedback), disagreed with (gave disconfirming feedback), or gave no feedback (control) regarding participants' answers to questions about the video. Participants who received disconfirming feedback reported fewer fine-grain details than participants in the confirming and control conditions on a subsequent, individual recall test for a different question set. Unexpectedly, this decrease in fine-grain reporting was not accompanied by a decrease in participants' confidence in the accuracy of their fine-grain responses. These results indicate that receiving social comparative feedback about one's memory performance can affect rememberers' metamemorial control decisions, and potentially decrease the level of detail they volunteer in later memory reports. Further research is needed to assess whether these results replicate under different experimental conditions, and to explore the effects of social influences on metamemory.

Source: Europe PubMed Central