Memory conformity for confidently recognized items: The power of social influence on memory reports

Memory conformity occurs when one person's memory report influences another's. Memory conformity is more likely to occur when the information comes from a credible source, and when internal evidence is weak. Here, we investigate whether there are situational variations in how heavily participants weigh internal cues to accuracy when confronted with conflicting information from a partner. The results show that even confidently held memories are subject to influence from external sources, and that social influence is exaggerated when the source is seen to be highly credible.

► People sometimes change their memory reports to conform with another's report ► People conform more frequently if their partner is highly credible ► They also conform more when confidence in their own memory is low ► We manipulated the relative credibility of a participant and a confederate ► Even confidently held memories are subject to social influence in some situations