Bearing False Witness Under Pressure: Implicit and Explicit Components of Stereotype-Driven Memory Distortions

Abstract

This research asked why people falsely remember stereotype-consistent information when cognitive resources are depleted. A task adapted from Jacoby's (1991) process dissociation procedure assessed participants' ability to distinguish between distractor items and behaviors performed by a stereotyped target. A multinomial analysis revealed that when cognitive capacity was restricted, participants were less likely to base judgments of stereotype-consistent behaviors on recollection and more likely to respond based on the mere familiarity of the behaviors. Capacity depletion did not affect the basis for judging stereotype-inconsistent items, nor did depletion promote simple stereotype-consistent response bias. We discuss the implications for stereotyping and eyewitness testimony.