A series of 5 experiments investigated whether false memory in associated word lists present with serial position effects (SPE) and how any such effects behave in response to manipulations of true recall SPE. Recall for a series of events is typified by SPE such that items nearer the beginning, primacy effect, and end, recency effect, of a series are remembered better than middle items. Recall is also typified by the intrusion of falsely remembered information. Word-lists segmented into trimesters of either semantically (e.g., hot, snow, warm.../ bed, rest, awake.../ looking, lens, shatter...) or phonologically (e.g., code, called, fold.../ sweep, sleet, steep.../ class, grass, glad...) associated words produced false recall (e.g., cold, sleep, glass), allowing for the simultaneous investigation of SPE for true and false recall. Typical SPE for true recall were observed for each of the five Experiments. For immediate free recall, semantic false recall declined from early to late study trimesters whereas phonological false recall displayed a false primacy and recency effect similar to true recall SPE. Phonological false recall was significantly reduced when a 15 second distractor task was implemented during the retention interval. Dividing attention during study using a concurrent handwriting task reduced true recall whereas semantic false recall increased at primacy and phonological false recall increased at recency. This suggests distinct processes underlying the two forms of false recall. Dividing attention using an articulatory suppression task produced less true recall and less false recall than using concurrent handwriting. This research indicates that false recall SPE exist and that the semantic and phonological forms of false recall SPE are distinct. Current theories of false memory and of true recall SPE are considered.

A series of 5 experiments investigated whether false memory in associated word lists present with serial position effects (SPE) and how any such effects behave in response to manipulations of true recall SPE. Recall for a series of events is typified by SPE such that items nearer the beginning, primacy effect, and end, recency effect, of a series are remembered better than middle items. Recall is also typified by the intrusion of falsely remembered information. Word-lists segmented into trimesters of either semantically (e.g., hot, snow, warm.../ bed, rest, awake.../ looking, lens, shatter...) or phonologically (e.g., code, called, fold.../ sweep, sleet, steep.../ class, grass, glad...) associated words produced false recall (e.g., cold, sleep, glass), allowing for the simultaneous investigation of SPE for true and false recall. Typical SPE for true recall were observed for each of the five Experiments. For immediate free recall, semantic false recall declined from early to late study trimesters whereas phonological false recall displayed a false primacy and recency effect similar to true recall SPE. Phonological false recall was significantly reduced when a 15 second distractor task was implemented during the retention interval. Dividing attention during study using a concurrent handwriting task reduced true recall whereas semantic false recall increased at primacy and phonological false recall increased at recency. This suggests distinct processes underlying the two forms of false recall. Dividing attention using an articulatory suppression task produced less true recall and less false recall than using concurrent handwriting. This research indicates that false recall SPE exist and that the semantic and phonological forms of false recall SPE are distinct. Current theories of false memory and of true recall SPE are considered.

<p>This thesis presents four studies investigating (1) whether incidentally primed control-related words can attenuate the impact of activated stereotypes on subsequent evaluation of a target person, (2) the impact of motivated forgetting on the recall of stereotypically congruent and incongruent information, and (3) the impact of a directed forgetting instruction on the false recall and recognition of nonpresented stereotypical information.</p><p>In three experiments, Study I showed that participants initially primed with the social category, <i>immigrant, </i>and subsequently primed with words that were evocative of control or self-control made less negative impression of a target displaying ambiguous behaviors than participants not exposed to such words.</p><p>Study II, using a directed-forgetting paradigm, demonstrated in two experiments that participants subliminally primed with Swedish facial photographs who later studied stereotypically incongruent words roughly recalled an equal number of items regardless of the forget or remember instructions. </p><p>Study III showed that participants primed with the social category, <i>immigrant</i> and then studied a list of stereotypically related and unrelated words falsely recognized more nonpresented stereotypical words when they were furnished with a forget than a remember instruction. Similarly, Study IV (Experiment 2) demonstrated that participants primed with the social category, <i>immigrant</i>, but not with a neutral category, falsely recalled more nonpresented stereotypical words when their cognitive capacity was depleted through a concurrent memory load task. </p><p>The thesis presents a review and a discussion of some of the theoretical underpinnings of the extant literature on stereotyping and intergroup relations and of the social implications of the present findings.</p>

This thesis presents four studies investigating (1) whether incidentally primed control-related words can attenuate the impact of activated stereotypes on subsequent evaluation of a target person, (2) the impact of motivated forgetting on the recall of stereotypically congruent and incongruent information, and (3) the impact of a directed forgetting instruction on the false recall and recognition of nonpresented stereotypical information. In three experiments, Study I showed that participants initially primed with the social category, immigrant, and subsequently primed with words that were evocative of control or self-control made less negative impression of a target displaying ambiguous behaviors than participants not exposed to such words. Study II, using a directed-forgetting paradigm, demonstrated in two experiments that participants subliminally primed with Swedish facial photographs who later studied stereotypically incongruent words roughly recalled an equal number of items regardless of the forget or remember instructions. Study III showed that participants primed with the social category, immigrant and then studied a list of stereotypically related and unrelated words falsely recognized more nonpresented stereotypical words when they were furnished with a forget than a remember instruction. Similarly, Study IV (Experiment 2) demonstrated that participants primed with the social category, immigrant, but not with a neutral category, falsely recalled more nonpresented stereotypical words when their cognitive capacity was depleted through a concurrent memory load task. The thesis presents a review and a discussion of some of the theoretical underpinnings of the extant literature on stereotyping and intergroup relations and of the social implications of the present findings.