Personality characteristics associated with susceptibility to false memories

PETER FROST, SARAH SPARROW, and JENNIFER BARRY
University of Maryland Baltimore County

This study examined whether certain personality characteristics are associated with susceptibility to false memories. Participants first answered questions from the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator in order to measure various personality characteristics. They then watched a video excerpt, the simulated eyewitness event. They were next encouraged to lie about the videotaped event during an interview. A week later, some participants recognized confabulated events as being from the video. Two personality characteristics in particular—the introversion-extroversion and thinking-feeling dimensions—were associated with susceptibility to false memories.