Focus Questions
Article 3: "Memories of Things Unseen" By E. F. Loftus
Remember: You do not have to answer all of these questions in your summary and application essays. An understanding of these focus questions will help you synthesize your responses to the essay questions in the quiz.
As you read the Loftus article and write your summary consider:
• What is the main point of the article?
• What do we know about memory and false memories from studies that use the "lost in the mall" procedure, according to Loftus?
• Why do we need studies that attempt to plant implausible or impossible memories?
• Loftus mentions a few of the "most powerful methods of suggestion;" give examples of these from the research.
• Why is this research important? What are some negative consequences of false memories?
As you read the Loftus article and write your application consider:
• Given what you learned about the three processes of memory (Chapter 9: The Knowing Mind: Memory), how might false memories be introduced in encoding, storage, and/or retrieval of memories?
• The Loftus (2004) article mentions that many therapy techniques use "imaginationS based interventions" (pg. 145). Looking ahead to
Chapter 15: Healing the Troubled Mind: Therapy, how might studies of false memory inform psychotherapy?
• What other aspects of this article remind you of topics addressed (or to be addressed) in class? (Tip: Review relevant material covered in
Chapter 4: The Biological Mind: The Physical Basis of Behavior and Chapter 9: The Knowing Mind: Memory).
Please note: References to chapter numbers above are specific to the OSU custom edition of the Cacioppo & Freberg 2e (2015) textbook and may not correspond to the textbook used in the Honors sections of Psychology 1100.
Attachment:- article3loftus.rar