A psychologist proposes that people's confidence in their own memories is shaped less by how vividly they recall an event than by how easily the memory comes to mind, regardless of accuracy. A competing view holds that vividness is the main driver of memory confidence.
Which finding, if true, would most strongly support the psychologist's proposal over the competing view?
- A
Vivid memories often involve strong emotions.
- Bcheck_circle
Participants whose recall of an event was made artificially easier (by repeated cuing) reported much higher confidence than participants who recalled equally vivid but less easily retrieved events.
- C
Memories can fade over time even when vivid initially.
- D
Most people can recall some events from their childhoods.
Explanation
A holds vividness equal and varies retrieval ease, with confidence tracking ease — directly supporting the psychologist's proposal over the vividness account. B, C, and D are tangential.