misinformation effect

n. The misinformation effect is a memory error in which memory for an event is influenced by exposure to postevent misleading information. It has been found in numerous studies using a wide variety of materials (e.g., photographs of people, scenes, and objects).

In a typical study examining the misinformation effect, participants witness an event, and then some of the participants receive new misleading information while others do not. Participants are then asked about the event. It is typically found that the misleading information influences participants' responses and increases the likelihood that they will recall the misleading information as part of the original event.

Researchers have identified several factors that influence the misinformation effect such as age, the use of hypnosis, and the amount of time that passes between the presentation of the misleading information and the recall of the event.

While there is no controversy over the presence of the misinformation effect, there is much debate over its cause. Several explanations have been proposed: destructive updating, misinformation acceptance, source misattribution, and response bias.

- LMB