Effects of Lying on Memory for Positive and Negative Events
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Campus where you would like to present
SURC Ballroom C/D
Start Date
15-5-2014
End Date
15-5-2014
Keywords
memory, lying, deception
Abstract
This study examined the effects of lying on the liar’s memory for the truth. Participants first filled out a Life Events Inventory that asked them to rate the likelihood that various events had happened to them before age 10. Participants were then interviewed by the experimenter and prompted to either lie or tell the truth about several positive and negative valence events. Participants were told to claim an event was true when prompted with the question “Tell me about the time you…” and to deny an event was true when prompted with the question “How do you know you never…?”. Participants lied both by claiming non-experienced events had happened to them and also by denying that true events had happened. During the interview, participants created full narratives about the events and attempted to convince the experimenter that their stories were true. Participants filled out a second Life Events Inventory after the interview and the change score between the pre- and post- lie manipulation was calculated. The results showed that participants inflated their belief in false negative events after claiming these events had happened to them as compared to controls. In addition, participants decreased their likelihood ratings for true positive events after claiming these events had not happened to them (relative to true positive events that were not lied about). These results demonstrate that lying can influence memory for the truth and that participants’ memories for positive and negative valence lies differ. The potential application of these results will be discussed.
Recommended Citation
Polage, Danielle, "Effects of Lying on Memory for Positive and Negative Events" (2014). Symposium Of University Research and Creative Expression (SOURCE). 171.
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/source/2014/posters/171
Poster Number
42
Additional Mentoring Department
Psychology
Effects of Lying on Memory for Positive and Negative Events
SURC Ballroom C/D
This study examined the effects of lying on the liar’s memory for the truth. Participants first filled out a Life Events Inventory that asked them to rate the likelihood that various events had happened to them before age 10. Participants were then interviewed by the experimenter and prompted to either lie or tell the truth about several positive and negative valence events. Participants were told to claim an event was true when prompted with the question “Tell me about the time you…” and to deny an event was true when prompted with the question “How do you know you never…?”. Participants lied both by claiming non-experienced events had happened to them and also by denying that true events had happened. During the interview, participants created full narratives about the events and attempted to convince the experimenter that their stories were true. Participants filled out a second Life Events Inventory after the interview and the change score between the pre- and post- lie manipulation was calculated. The results showed that participants inflated their belief in false negative events after claiming these events had happened to them as compared to controls. In addition, participants decreased their likelihood ratings for true positive events after claiming these events had not happened to them (relative to true positive events that were not lied about). These results demonstrate that lying can influence memory for the truth and that participants’ memories for positive and negative valence lies differ. The potential application of these results will be discussed.
Faculty Mentor(s)
Polage, Danielle