Laney et al experiment 1

Laney et al experiment 1

1. Psychology investigated

   • main area being tested is "false memories"
   • The researchers noted that people's memories of events in their own lives can be incorrect

2. aims

   • To investigate whether positive false memories about asparagus can be implanted in a person's memories and change their childhood memories about asparagus
   • To investigate the consequences of implanting positive false memories in terms of the effects it has on liking asparagus and choosing asparagus

3. method

   • sample
     • 128 undergraduates
     • received course credit for participation
     • 77% female
     • mean age 20.8 y/o
     • ptp randomly assigned
       • love group (n=63)
       • control group (n=65)
   • laboratory experiment
   • questionnaires (closed questions)
     • 1. FHI (food history inventory)
       • 24 items
       • 16th: critical item, " loved asparagus the first time you tried it"
       • 1=definitely did not happen - 8=definitely happened before the age of 10
     • 2. RQ (restaurant questionnaire)
       • assessed desire to eat 32 separate dishes
       • critical item: "sauteed asparagus spears"
       • laid out like a menu; appetisers, soups, deserts
       • 1 = definitely no - 8=definitely yes
     • 3 other questionnaires as fillers: relating to personality scale, eating habits and social desirability to disguise the aim of the study
     • 4. Food Preferences Questionnaire (FPQ)
       • rate 62 food items(including asparagus)
       • 1= definitely don't like to eat it - 8= definitely like to eat it
     • 5. Food costs questionnaire (FCQ)
       • 21 food items
       • indicate whether they would buy each item and how much they are willing to pay
       • 7 statements
       • "would never buy it" to "would buy it at $5.70"
       • critical item: 1lb (454 grams) of asparagus"
     • 6. Memory or belief (M/B)
       • ptp had to respond to 3 items from the FHI(including the asparagus item)
         • (a) had a specific memory of the event
         • (b) had a belief the event occurred(no specific memory)
         • (c) was positive that the event had not occured

4. Procedure

   • once arrived they were told that they would be completing a series of questionnaires to help study the relationship between food oreferences and personality
     • to limit DC they were not told anything about false memories
     • completed the FHI and the RQ
       • completed the filler questionnaires
         • they were given false feedback about their responses to the Original q.
           • approx one week later the ptp returns
             • told falsely that their responses had been entered into a computer program which had generated a profile of their early childhood experiences with food
               • profiles presented as if they had individually tailored to each ptp