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Attempts to Suppress Episodic Memories Fail but do Produce Demand: Evidence from the P300-Based Complex Trial Protocol and an Implicit Memory Test

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Abstract

Instructions to voluntarily suppress memories of a mock crime have been reported to result in decreased P300 amplitude during a P300-based concealed information test (CIT) and reduced autobiographical Implicit Association Test (aIAT) D scores, supporting successful suppression. However, one such study, (Hu et al., Psychological science 26(7):1098–1106, 2015) used the P300-based Complex Trial Protocol with a 50–50 target to nontarget ratio, which could impose much response switching and thereby drain cognitive resources, also resulting in reduced P300. The present study replicated Hu et al. (Psychological science 26(7):1098–1106, 2015) with one major variation—a less intrusive 20–80 target to nontarget ratio that required less response switching. Detection rates were high using both the brainwave-based CIT (90% accuracy) and the aIAT (87% accuracy). However we found no significant differences between the suppression and simple guilty groups on the major indices of concealed information detection, which compare probe and irrelevant P300 responses. While we did find that overall P300 amplitude was reduced in the suppression group, this reduction was not specific to probe responses. Additionally, while there were group differences in aIAT hit rates, there were no differences in aIAT D scores. Taken together, these findings suggest that the previously demonstrated reductions in P300 are a reflection of task demand rather than of effective voluntary memory suppression.

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Notes

  1. Although the majority of Ps were female, previous research indicates negligible P300 gender differences in a visual oddball task (Rozenkrants and Polich 2008).

  2. The t-tests were one-tailed.

  3. One-tailed t-test.

  4. We acknowledge that Hu et al. (2015) used a different amplifier and slightly higher high-pass filter setting (0.3 Hz). However, the disparity in amplitude sizes seen here exceeds what might be explained by these differences (Duncan-Johnson and Donchin 1979).

  5. This $10 was in addition to participation compensation (either $10 or course credit). All Ps received the bonus but were initially told they would only receive it if found innocent.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychology Department, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA

    Anne C. Ward & J. Peter Rosenfeld

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  1. Anne C. Ward
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  2. J. Peter Rosenfeld
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Correspondence to J. Peter Rosenfeld.

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The authors, both Ward and Rosenfeld, declare there is no conflict of interest.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study, as required by the Northwestern University IRB which approved this study.

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Ward, A.C., Rosenfeld, J.P. Attempts to Suppress Episodic Memories Fail but do Produce Demand: Evidence from the P300-Based Complex Trial Protocol and an Implicit Memory Test. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback 42, 13–26 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10484-016-9348-7

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