@article{10902/37394,
year = {2024},
url = {https://hdl.handle.net/10902/37394},
abstract = {Among cognitive factors that can influence the endorsement of pseudoscientific beliefs, our study focuses on prone  ness to false memory generation. In this preregistered study, we presented 170 fluent English speakers residing in the USA with a misinformation task aimed at generating false memories. In this task, they first completed an event encoding stage, in which two events were narrated through sequentially presented pictures. One day later, they read a series of sentences relating the same events but which included several inaccurate descriptions aimed at producing a misinformation effect. Finally, we measured the influence of the misinformation manipulation over false memory generation. After completing the misinformation task, participants responded to a questionnaire measuring pseudo  scientific beliefs. Our results showed a positive correlation between pseudoscience endorsement and false memory rates, which indicates that the latter might be a key factor influencing susceptibility to pseudoscience. To our knowl  edge, this is the first study showing a link between the tendency to believe in pseudoscience and variability regard  ing proneness to develop false memories. Practical implications for the design of new interventions to effectively reduce pseudoscientific beliefs and their negative impact on our society are discussed},
organization = {This study was funded by grants PID2019-106102GB-I00 (MCIN/AEI/https:// doi.org/10.13039/501100011033) and PID2022-138016NB-I00 (MCIN/ AEI/https://doi.org/10.13039/501100011033/ & FEDER, Una manera de hacer Europa), as well as 2021 SGR 01102 by Agencia de Gestio d’Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca (AGAUR).},
publisher = {Cham Switzerland: springer International Publishing},
publisher = {Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, 2024, 9, 39},
title = {Proneness to false memory generation predicts pseudoscientific belief endorsement},
author = {Martínez Pereña, Naroa and Barberia, Itxaso and Rodríguez-Ferreiro, Javier},
}