False alarms about false memories

M.B. Miller and G. L. Wolford (1999) make two contributions. First, they ad d conditions to the basic Roediger-McDermott (1995) procedure and find that critical items are recalled and recognized more often if they are presente d in the list than if they are not presented. These results agree with our own, which are briefly reviewed. Second, they apply signal detection theory to the paradigm and conclude that false responding is caused by a shift of response criterion. They present no evidence that requires this interpreta tion, however, and we discuss several reasons why their account is implausi ble. For example, even when fully informed subjects are asked to use a very strict criterion in responding, the false recognition phenomenon persists at high levels. Further, some variables produce opposite effects on veridic al and false recall and recognition; this pattern is difficult to accommoda te solely by a shift in response criterion. Therefore, little evidence exis ts that a simple shift of response criterion can explain false recall and f alse recognition phenomena in the Roediger-McDermott paradigm.