Can False Memories Prime Problem Solutions for Healthy Older Adults and Those With Alzheimer's Disease?. (5th June 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Akhtar, Shazia; Howe, Mark L; Hoepstine, Kedron
• Editors: Gutchess, Angela
• Is Part Of: Journals of gerontology. Volume 75:Number 4(2020)
• Page Start: 743
• Page End: 752
• Publication Date: 2018-06-05
• Subjects: Alzheimer's disease -- Compound remote associates task -- DRM paradigm -- False memory -- Priming problem solving; Geriatrics -- Periodicals; Gerontology -- Periodicals; Aged -- Periodicals; Aging -- Periodicals; Psychology, Social -- Periodicals; 305.26
• DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gby064
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1079-5014

Abstract

Abstract: Objective: Recent research has shown that false memories can have a positive consequence on human cognition in both children and young adults. The present experiment investigated whether false memories could have similar positive effects by priming solutions to insight-based problems in healthy older adults and people with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Method: Participants were asked to solve compound remote associate task (CRAT) problems, half of which had been preceded by the presentation of Deese/Roediger-McDermott (DRM) lists whose critical lures (CL) were also the solutions to those problems. Results: The results showed that regardless of cognitive ability, when the CL was falsely recognized, CRAT problems were solved more often and reliably faster than problems that were not primed by a DRM list. When the CL was not falsely recognized, CRAT problem solution rates and times were no different from when there was no DRM priming. Discussion: These findings are consistent with predictions from theories of associative activation and demonstrate the importance of automatic spreading activation processes in memory across the life span.