Media, Technology, and the Sins of Memory

Misinformed by images: How images influence perceptions of truth and what can be done about it

We organize image types by their substantive relationship with textual claims and discuss their impact on attention, comprehension, memory, and judgment. Photos do not need to be false (altered or generated) to mislead; real photos can create a slanted representation or be repurposed from different events. Even semantically related non-probative photos, merely inserted to attract eyeballs, can increase message acceptance through increased fluency. Messages with images receive more attention and reach a wider audience. Text-congruent images can scaffold the comprehension of true and false claims and support the formation of correct and false memories. Standard laboratory procedures may underestimate the impact of images in natural media contexts: by drawing all participants' attention to a message that may be ignored without an image, they inflate message effects in the control condition. Misleading images are difficult to identify and their influence often remains outside of awareness, making it hard to curb their influence through critical-thinking interventions. Current concerns about deep fakes may reduce trust in all images, potentially limiting their power to mislead as well as inform. More research is needed to understand how knowing that an image is misleading influences inferences, impressions, and judgments beyond immediate assessments of the image's credibility.

Technology use and subjective cognitive concerns in older adults

OBJECTIVES

How technology impacts the day to day cognitive functioning of older adults is a matter of some debate. On the one hand, the use of technologies such as smartphones and social media, may lead to more subjective cognitive concerns (SCC) by promoting distractibility and reliance on devices to perform memory tasks. However, continued digital engagement in older adults may also be related to better cognitive functioning. Given these competing viewpoints, our study evaluated if frequency of digital device use was associated with greater or less subjective cognitive concerns.

METHOD

Participants were 219 adults over the age of 65 (mean age =75 years) who had internet access. Measures assessing frequency of digital device use along with SCC were administered. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to gage association between frequency of device use and SCC, controlling for relevant demographic and lifestyle factors.

RESULTS

Increased frequency of digital device use was associated with less SCC, over and above the influence of demographic factors, across cognitive (but especially in executive) domains. This effect was observed for general device usage, with no statistically significant associations were observed between texting/video call, social media use and SCC.

DISCUSSION

Results were broadly consistent with the technological reserve hypothesis in that digital engagement was associated with better experienced cognitive functioning in older adults. While device use may contribute to distractibility in certain cases, the current results add to a burgeoning literature that digital engagement may be a protective factor for cognitive changes with age.

Memory Sins in Applied Settings: What Kind of Progress?

Over two decades ago, I proposed that memory errors could be classified into seven basic categories or sins (Schacter, 1999, 2001), comprising three sins of omission (transience, absentmindedness, and blocking) and four sins of commission (misattribution, suggestibility, bias, and persistence). In the past two decades, much has been learned about the nature and basis of the memory sins. Here, I assess the extent of progress that has been made during that time regarding applied implications of five of the sins: transience, absentmindedness, misattribution, suggestibility, and persistence. The manifestations of these sins have been examined in a variety of applied settings, including educational, clinical, legal, and technological domains. I argue that considerable progress has been made in characterizing the impact of memory sins in each domain, identify gaps in and limitations of our current knowledge, and briefly consider how these developments bear on broad questions regarding the reliability of human memory.