In this study I investigated the memory error known as misattribution. I examined how one may unconsciously transfer aspects of one memory into another. More specifically I looked at the occurrence of misattribution when there are similar details in the presented stimuli (two memories). Will those presented with similar details display misattribution more than those presented with non-similar details? Similar to a previous study, half of the participants were given two stories with the main character having the same name, while the other half received stories containing different names. Participants were then asked to perform a recognition task regarding the details from the stories. The results indicate that there was not a significant difference between the two groups. There was a small difference in the mean scores between the two groups, with those in the group with the same name actually scoring slightly higher. This reveals that the results are due to chance. The results indicate that misattribution will not occur when participants are asked to recognize details from a short memory that is two paragraphs in length.
