Skip to main content

LUP Student Papers

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Forget your stereotypes: Memory inhibition as a tool to change attitudes

Holmbäck, Alexander LU and Lundström, Helena LU (2011) PSYK01 20102
Department of Psychology
Abstract (Swedish)
In this study we investigated if stereotype conceptions against groups of people can be suppressed by retrieval practice and thereby affect implicit associations. Previous research of retrieval-induced forgetting has shown that interfering memories are inhibited and weakened by retrieval practice. Our hypothesis was that retrieval practice of features incongruent to a stereotype would cause memory inhibition of congruent interfering features and also a reduction of implicit associations. To induce memory suppression, we applied the retrieval-practice paradigm, the stimuli used for retrieval practice was groups of people as categories and stereotype features as items. To measure implicit associations, an Implicit Association Test was used.... (More)
In this study we investigated if stereotype conceptions against groups of people can be suppressed by retrieval practice and thereby affect implicit associations. Previous research of retrieval-induced forgetting has shown that interfering memories are inhibited and weakened by retrieval practice. Our hypothesis was that retrieval practice of features incongruent to a stereotype would cause memory inhibition of congruent interfering features and also a reduction of implicit associations. To induce memory suppression, we applied the retrieval-practice paradigm, the stimuli used for retrieval practice was groups of people as categories and stereotype features as items. To measure implicit associations, an Implicit Association Test was used. Our results showed that retrieval practice with social stimuli successfully induced a significant memory impairment but not a significant reduction of implicit associations. Based on the result, we discussed the possibility that retrieval of positive features could be a more effective method to reduce stereotypes than suppression of negative features. For future research within retrieval practice, we suggested an investigation of how pre-understanding of a stereotype could affect memory impairment. And for implicit associations, how susceptibility to reduction of implicit associations would differ between stereotypes or depend on a successful memory impairment. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Holmbäck, Alexander LU and Lundström, Helena LU
supervisor
organization
course
PSYK01 20102
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Stereotypes, Implicit Associations, Retrieval-practice, Retrieval-induce forgetting, memory inhibition
language
English
id
1845226
date added to LUP
2011-10-17 13:38:40
date last changed
2011-10-17 13:38:40
@misc{1845226,
  abstract     = {{In this study we investigated if stereotype conceptions against groups of people can be suppressed by retrieval practice and thereby affect implicit associations. Previous research of retrieval-induced forgetting has shown that interfering memories are inhibited and weakened by retrieval practice. Our hypothesis was that retrieval practice of features incongruent to a stereotype would cause memory inhibition of congruent interfering features and also a reduction of implicit associations. To induce memory suppression, we applied the retrieval-practice paradigm, the stimuli used for retrieval practice was groups of people as categories and stereotype features as items. To measure implicit associations, an Implicit Association Test was used. Our results showed that retrieval practice with social stimuli successfully induced a significant memory impairment but not a significant reduction of implicit associations. Based on the result, we discussed the possibility that retrieval of positive features could be a more effective method to reduce stereotypes than suppression of negative features. For future research within retrieval practice, we suggested an investigation of how pre-understanding of a stereotype could affect memory impairment. And for implicit associations, how susceptibility to reduction of implicit associations would differ between stereotypes or depend on a successful memory impairment.}},
  author       = {{Holmbäck, Alexander and Lundström, Helena}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Forget your stereotypes: Memory inhibition as a tool to change attitudes}},
  year         = {{2011}},
}