The current studies extended existing research on source monitoring decisions, the process of attributing the introduction of information to a given source (Johnson, 2006), by demonstrating visual salience and status shift source attributions across three studies. The incremental impact of each factor was identified through the use of Batchelder and Reifer's multinomial model for source monitoring (1990), which made it possible to demonstrate when memory processes and guessing biases were affected by each of these factors. Finally, this research looked at the relationship between visual salience and source monitoring attributions in an applied setting: videotaped police interrogations.
In the pilot study, participants were presented a videotaped interaction in one of three camera formats, manipulating the visual salience of the two actors. This led to corresponding shifts in source guessing. Thus, with simple stimuli, visual salience biases source guessing such that source attributions are higher for the most visually salient actor.
The second study systematically manipulated visual salience, status, and influence (an additional factor related to status) to demonstrate the additive effect of these variables. Visual salience, status, and influence were shown to primarily impact guessing biases (e.g., source guessing and recognition guessing). However, when these cues are combined in the right manner, memory processes can also be affected. Specifically, words presented by a visually salient, high status individual with greater influence will be recognized more often.
A videotaped interrogation was shown from three different camera perspectives within the third study. Within this context, where the detective is an individual who has much more influence and disproportionately higher status, the likelihood of recognizing words presented by the detective were increased; together high influence and status overwhelmed the effect of visual salience on source guessing meaning that observers are likely to guess that the detective is the source of introduced information regardless of visual salience. Finally, the relationship between source monitoring and perceptions of voluntariness and guilt were explored. Discussion considered the effect of preexisting schemas about interrogations, which likely exert independent influence on participant responses, and future research directions.