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Richard Smith Maters Thesis.pdf (603.4 KB)

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A Fuzzy-Trace Theory Approach to Exploring Verbal Overshadowing

Smith, Richard J, Smith
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4106-9656
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1496137671942431

Abstract Details

2017, Master of Arts, Miami University, Psychology.
Verbal overshadowing is a memory effect in which verbally expressing details of one’s memory for a given stimulus has shown to later interfere with the ability to recognize it. Due to mixed results that have been reported, this effect was recently the subject of a global replication study, which legitimized the phenomenon, but offered little explanation of the mechanisms driving it. One possible explanation lies in the task instructions typically utilized to explore verbal overshadowing, in which participants are asked to provide highly detailed descriptions of a bank robber featured in a video and subsequently select him from a lineup. Given that research grounded in Fuzzy-Trace Theory (FTT) has often linked verbatim descriptions of surface details with poor memory performance, I hypothesized that tailoring task instructions to elicit more meaningful gist-based descriptions of the robber would overcome verbal overshadowing, and potentially facilitate memory performance over and above controls. The results showed that verbal overshadowing occurred with the standard instructions, which produced the least accurate responses. The gist instructions, which evoked more meaningful descriptions, produced lineup choice accuracy similar to a no-description control condition. Following FTT, the findings suggest that the locus of verbal overshadowing lies within verbatim representations of memory.
Christopher Wolfe (Advisor)
Joseph Johnson (Committee Member)
Wessels Pete (Committee Member)
26 p.
Cognitive Psychology; Psychology
verbal overshadowing; eyewitness memory; Fuzzy-Trace Theory; recognition memory

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Smith, Smith, R. J. (2017). A Fuzzy-Trace Theory Approach to Exploring Verbal Overshadowing [Master's thesis, Miami University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1496137671942431

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Smith, Smith, Richard. A Fuzzy-Trace Theory Approach to Exploring Verbal Overshadowing. 2017. Miami University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1496137671942431.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Smith, Smith, Richard. "A Fuzzy-Trace Theory Approach to Exploring Verbal Overshadowing." Master's thesis, Miami University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1496137671942431

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

miami1496137671942431
845
© 2017, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Miami University and OhioLINK.