Confabulation and false memory in young first-episode psychosis patients and normal controls

Studies have demonstrated that forced confabulation can increase susceptibility to false memories in normal controls whereas patients with psychotic disorder generate more confabulation, but it is unclear whether their confabulation leads to increased false memory recall. Furthermore, it is unclear to what extent false memory recall and confabulation in early psychosis patients is based on their impaired cognitive functions. The aim of the present study was to investigate confabulation and the creation of false memories in young first-episode psychosis patients and normal controls after controlling for cognitive functions. Participants in the clinical group (N = 28) and control group (N=32) carried out eight neuropsychological tests, watched a video excerpt and answered a questionnaire with eight correct and four false questions about events that never happened in the video. Participants were encouraged to guess answers if they did not remember the event (to confabulate). Participants were examined one week later to see if they had created a false memory for their confabulated answers. It was hypothesized that patients would generate more confabulations and recall fewer of their confabulated answers as a false memory one week later compared to healthy controls. It was also hypothesized that confabulation and false memory were not dependent on cognitive function. The results demonstrated a non-significant main effect of time of interview on the false memory formation. Main effect of group on the false memory formation was not significant. Interaction between time of interview and group on the false memory formation was significant. One of eight neuropsychological tests (Digit Span) significantly affected participants’ confabulation and false memory. Investigating these phenomena adequately, researchers, psychologists and other health workers can determine its occurrence in different situations, as in psychological treatment, and in criminal investigations. Keywords: confabulation, false memory, cognitive function, young first-episode psychotic patients

Author dc:creator

• Andri Hrafn Sigurðsson 1989-

Contributors dc:contributor

• Háskólinn í Reykjavík

• Sálfræði
• Falskar minningar
• Réttarsálfræði
• Meistaraprófsritgerðir
• Psychology
• False memories
• Confabulation

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1946/25715

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:skemman.is:1946/25715