Derived false memories using a respondent‐type (ReT) procedure
Equivalence testing can accidentally create false memories—keep test exposures short.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Ruiz‐Sánchez et al. (2019) taught adults to match printed words into four-member equivalence classes.
They used a respondent-type (ReT) procedure: words appeared on screen and the computer paired them without any button pressing.
After training, the team gave repeated equivalence tests and later asked people which words they had studied.
What they found
People often swore they had seen words that were never shown.
False memories grew stronger after more training cycles and more equivalence test exposures.
The study shows that the very act of testing can plant memories that feel real.
How this fits with other research
Busch et al. (2010) saw the same false-memory effect with match-to-sample training, proving the finding is not tied to one procedure.
Haimson et al. (2009) looked positive at first glance: their EEG data say equivalence testing helps classes form. Ruiz‐Sánchez flips that benefit into a warning—what helps formation can also distort memory.
Tantam et al. (1993) showed that equivalence makes untrained stimuli control behavior. Ruiz‐Sánchez extends this idea to memory reports, revealing a side effect clinicians need to watch.
Why it matters
If you use equivalence-based instruction with clients, limit the number of test blocks you run. Each extra test round can make a learner "remember" information you never taught. Instead, probe mastery once or twice and move to new material. This small change keeps the benefits of equivalence while lowering the risk of false recall.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The present investigation used a respondent-type (ReT) training procedure to generate derived false memories. A one-to-many ReT training procedure was implemented in order to establish two stimulus equivalence classes, each consisting of one shape and 24 random words (i.e., Class 1 and Class 2). A partial test for stimulus equivalence with a subset of stimuli from each class followed. Failing an equivalence test resulted in additional ReT training and equivalence testing on new subsets of stimuli. After passing an equivalence test, participants were presented with 12 study-list words from Class 1 for memorization, followed by a distraction task. Finally, free recall and recognition tests for the study-list words were implemented. False recall and false recognition were more frequent for nonstudied Class 1 words than for nonstudied Class 2 words. These derived false-memory effects were more pronounced among those participants exhibiting more training and testing cycles and higher accuracy on stimulus equivalence tests. Furthermore, false recall and false remembering of nonstudied Class 1 words were more frequent for words that had been equivalence-tested than for words that had not been equivalence-tested. These results show how responses to contiguous stimuli could produce derived false memories and also highlight the role played by the equivalence test in increasing their emergence.
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 2019 · doi:10.1002/jeab.492