False memories based on indirect associations of gender stereotypes of occupations

Abstract

This study examined whether false memories, as revealed by the Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm, can arise from indirect stereotype associations, as proposed by Lenton, Blair, and Hastie (2001). We found significant indications of stereotype-evoked false memories. The participants in our experiment reported that they were unaware of the gender theme of the studied list, suggesting that the false memories were due to implicit associative processes. Although we could not replicate an increase in the false recognition of stereotypically gender-congruent occupations, we detected a gender-congruent effect partially by the analyses of the “Remember” responses and the participants' egalitarian attitudes against the gender role. Moreover, analyses of the “Know” responses indicated that participants' attitudes toward gender roles potentially moderate the degree that they form occupational gender stereotypes. Implications of the results for basic/applied research on the interactions between stereotype and memory are discussed.