Stress reduces the incorporation of misinformation into an established memory

Abstract

Memory can be distorted by misleading post-event information. These memory distortions may have serious consequences, for example in eyewitness testimony. Many situations in which memory reports are solicited, and suggestive or misleading information is presented, are highly stressful for the respondent, yet little is known about how stress affects people's susceptibility to misinformation. Here, we exposed participants to a stressor or a control manipulation before they were presented misinformation about a previous event. We report that stressed participants endorsed misinformation in a subsequent memory test less often than control participants, suggesting that stress reduces distortions of memory by misleading information.