The effect of retroactive memory interference on the P300-based Complex Trial Protocol (CTP)

Publication date: Available online 6 December 2019Source: International Journal of PsychophysiologyAuthor(s): Anne C. Ward, J. Peter Rosenfeld, Evan J. Sitar, Joshua D. WassermanAbstractIn a P300-based concealed information test (CIT), an increased response to a crime-related “probe” item of interest suggests concealed knowledge. Because the CIT's detection ability is based on knowledgeable parties recognizing the key item, weakening the crime memory might decrease probe identifiability and reduce diagnostic power. Research on retroactive memory interference (RI) has shown that acquiring new information after encoding a memory can degrade the original memory, which suggests that RI might pose a threat to CITs. To test this, Gronau et al. (2015) had participants complete a mock-crime, followed by either a control task or a RI manipulation task, intended to impair the crime memory. Both the simple guilty control and RI groups were subdivided into three time delay conditions: 1/3 of participants immediately completed the task and CIT, another 1/3 completed the task and returned a week later for the CIT, and the remaining participants completed both the task and CIT a week later. Results showed that RI reduced memory of crime details and skin conductance responses, while respiration line length was unaffected. Here, we extend Gronau et al. (2015), using the Complex Trial Protocol (CTP) version of the P300-based CIT, to investigate the influence of RI on recognition. The CIT e...

Source: International Journal of Psychophysiology - December 6, 2019 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research