The purpose of the present study was to examine the underlying mechanism of memory distrust as a function of repeated checking in a nonclinical student sample. Recent literature proposes that repeated checking increases familiarity with the material checked. Then, familiarity makes the recollections less vivid and detailed. Afterwards, this condition promotes distrust in memory. Before the experimental phase of the study, Padua Inventory- Washington State University Revision (PI-WSUR) and demographic information form were applied to the 381 students (232 female, 149 male) university students. Then, 84 students were selected according to their PI-WSUR scores. The students scored half standard deviation below the mean of the group were assigned to the low OCD group (N= 42) and the students scored half standard deviation above the mean were assigned to the high OCD group (N= 42). In the experimental phase of the study, an interactive computer animation was developed to test repeated checking behavior. Before the experiment, participants were randomly assigned to two groups: primed with feedback group and primed with no feedback group. In the experiment, participants were all asked to carry out checking rituals on a virtual gas ring. Each participant performed turning on, turning off and checking processes for 15 trials. However, half of the participants in the primed with feedback group were given feedback indicating that the checking activity was successful and complete and half of the participants in the primed with no feedback group were not given any feedback. The data are analyzed by 2 (Group: Low OCD group - High OCD Group) X 2 (Feedback condition: Primed with Feedback Group - Primed with no Feedback Group) Between Subjects ANOVA. Results showed that participants in the primed with feedback group had significantly higher scores on both memory confidence for the last checking trial of the gas rings and overall outcome confidence for all fifteen checking trials than participants in the primed with no feedback group. There was no significant group main effect and interaction effect (group x feedback condition) for the level of memory confidence and overall outcome confidence. There were also no significant group and feedback condition main effects and interaction effect for the level of vividness and detail of the recollections of the last checking behavior. Results are discussed in the light of the related literature.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:METU/oai:etd.lib.metu.edu.tr:http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12608760/index.pdf |
| Date | 01 September 2007 |
| Creators | Demirsoz, Talat |
| Contributors | Ayvasik, H. Belgin |
| Publisher | METU |
| Source Sets | Middle East Technical Univ. |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | M.S. Thesis |
| Format | text/pdf |
| Rights | To liberate the content for public access |
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