Accounting for The Revelation Effect: Criterion Flux or Discrepancy Misattribution?
Date
2018-07-03
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Abstract
The revelation effect occurs when performing an initial task (vs. no task) increases ratings/endorsements of a subsequent target. I examined whether initial task difficulty (solving an easy vs. hard anagram) moderates the revelation effect in recognition and truth tasks. By a criterion flux account, solving an anagram displaces working memory contents, yielding a liberal response bias. This account predicts a revelation effect only in the recognition taskānot influenced by anagram difficulty. By a discrepancy misattribution account, after solving an anagram, discrepantly fluent processing of the target is misattributed to recognition/truth. This account predicts a revelation effect in both tasks that is larger after hard anagrams. The revelation effect on recognition ratings was significant only after hard anagrams, consistent with both accounts, whereas a revelation effect on truth ratings occurred only after easy anagrams, contrary to both accounts. However, I argue that discrepancy misattribution fits best with this unexpected pattern.
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Keywords
revelation effect, recognition ratings, truth ratings, fluency, cognitive illusion
Citation
Currie, D. (2018). Accounting for The Revelation Effect: Criterion Flux or Discrepancy Misattribution? (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/32343