Lost in the mall again: a preregistered replication and extension of Loftus & Pickrell (1995).
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Level by design analogy, not clinical CEBM: experimental psychology replication study with within-subject controls.
PubMed 37017540 · doi:10.1080/09658211.2023.2198327
What was done
This was a preregistered direct replication and extension of the Loftus & Pickrell (1995) study. Participants (N = 123) completed a survey and two interviews discussing real and fabricated childhood events based on information provided by an older relative. The extension assessed participants' self-reported beliefs and memories as well as evaluations by mock jurors.
What was found
The original effect was replicated: 35% of participants were coded as reporting a false memory for getting lost in a mall in childhood (compared to 25% in the original study). In the extension, participants self-reported high rates of memories and beliefs for the fabricated event, and mock jurors were highly likely to believe the fabricated event occurred and that the participant genuinely remembered it. The abstract reports no exact numerical values for the extension findings.
Why it matters
This study provides preregistered empirical confirmation with an expanded sample that suggestive questioning can generate false childhood autobiographical memories, strengthening the scientific basis for its citation in legal contexts.
Limits
The abstract does not provide exact numerical rates or statistics for the mock juror evaluations and self-reported memory/belief ratings. The mock juror sample size and participant demographics are not reported.
Cited by
- supports Elizabeth Loftus demonstrated that entirely false autobiographical memories, such as being lost in a shopping mall as a child, can be successfully implanted in experimental subjects.