A modality congruency effect in verbal false memory

Abstract

This experiment tests the modality congruency hypothesis, which suggests that in short-term recall of auditory or visual verbal information false memories can be suppressed more effectively if presentation modality and recall mode are in congruent relation (i.e., in oral recall of auditorily presented and written recall of visually presented materials). The experiment is based on the DRM paradigm (as used by Kellogg, 2001). The results demonstrate more intrusions if presentation and recall are in an incongruent relation than if they are in a congruent relation. This finding supports the assumption of a privileged pathway from the auditory input system to oral output on the one hand, and from the visual input system to written output on the other hand, which aids source monitoring.