Misinformation during imagery rescripting exercises increases false memories

Purpose Imagery rescripting exercises (IREXc) can effectively alleviate trauma-related symptoms by modifying the content of the memory using imagery. This modification could be viewed as providing misinformation, which can be problematic in legal settings. The aim of the present studies was to examine the effects of explicit misinformation during IREXc on subsequent memory recollections. Design/methodology/approach In two experiments, participants watched an aversive movie compilation (Phase 1) and were subsequently (Phase 2) guided to either relive the scenes (imaginal exposure, IE), to rescript the content (IREXc) or to conduct a filler task (control). Only IREXc participants received misinformation. Memory for the original movie compilation was tested (Phase 3) with a recognition task during which participants indicated whether an item was present in the movie (true items) or not (false items). The three phases took place on one day (Experiment 1) or on three consecutive days (Experiment 2). Findings In Experiment 1, a misinformation effect was observed. IREXc participants more often incorrectly indicated that the false misinformation was present in the movie than IE and control participants did. The IE condition more often indicated that false items were presented in the movie compared to the control condition. Experiment 2 did not replicate these findings. The exploratory overall analysis mirrored the results of Experiment 1, with the IREXc condition more often indicating the presence of misinformation than the other conditions. Overall, the number of correct responses decreased over time (Experiment 1 vs Experiment 2). Originality/value Misinformation during imagery exercises can result in false memories, which may hinder legal procedures. These results stress the importance of clear clinical protocols for imagery techniques.