Output monitoring tests reveal false memories of memories that never existed

Three experiments were conducted to assess participants' beliefs about pote ntial false memories that might have occurred during free recall tests. An input-output monitoring test was administered that required participants to discriminate between items that were studied and recalled, studied and not recalled, or were entirely new. Critical lures from Roediger and McDermott 's (1995) paradigm were inserted into this test. The results demonstrated t hat participants believed erroneously recalled items were both studied and recalled. The intriguing finding was that unrecalled items were believed to have been studied approximately 80% of the time, and half of those were al so believed to have been recalled. This result represents a dual false memo ry effect in which items were believed to have been studied and also to hav e been recalled. The ramifications of this new procedure are discussed in t erms of proposed experiments that might clarify the genesis of these false memories.