Can Rich False Memories of Autobiographical Events Be Reversed Again? An Extended Replication of Oeberst et al. (2021)

ABSTRACT Oeberst et al. (2021) reversed autobiographical false memories using source and false memory sensitization. The present study aimed to replicate and extend their findings by addressing methodological issues. We conducted three suggestive interviews to implement false memories, then applied two countermeasures: source sensitization and false memory sensitization. Thirty‐four of 63 participants developed false memories. Based on the memory classification, both reversal techniques reduced false memories without affecting the quality of true memories. The source sensitization equally impacted true and false memories regarding participants' certainty ratings and the proportion of remembered details attributed to their own memory. However, participants were more certain about the sources of their true than their false memories. Since memory classification cut‐offs might have led to overestimating the techniques' effectiveness, we discuss the implications for research and derive several recommendations for future studies.