Guilty by association: Time-dependent memory consolidation and the generalization of person-specific traits to other social group members

Luke Robert Enge, University of Texas at El Paso

Abstract

The following study investigated the extent to which time-dependnet memory consolidation facilities the generalization of person-specific traits (individuated targets) to other, familiar social group members (familiar targets) Sixty-Nine (N = 69) participants learned to distinguish between two arbitrary groups, one positive and one negative. Participants learned the negative or positive information about a subset of the group members (individuated targets) and no individuating information about the familiar targets. Participants returned either without a time-delay containing sleep (2-6 hours after learning) or a time-delay with sleep (48 hours after learning). Results demonstrated that only after a time-delay containing sleep, negative information was generalized from individuated, specific group members to familiar group members. Results are discussed in the context of models of emotional and false memory and related more broadly to perception.

Subject Area

Neurosciences|Social psychology|Cognitive psychology

Recommended Citation

Enge, Luke Robert, "Guilty by association: Time-dependent memory consolidation and the generalization of person-specific traits to other social group members" (2013). ETD Collection for University of Texas, El Paso. AAI1551221.
https://scholarworks.utep.edu/dissertations/AAI1551221

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