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dc.contributor.advisorGeraci, Lisa
dc.creatorGuillory, Jimmeka Joy
dc.date.accessioned2012-10-19T15:28:59Z
dc.date.accessioned2012-10-22T18:06:02Z
dc.date.available2012-10-19T15:28:59Z
dc.date.available2012-10-22T18:06:02Z
dc.date.created2011-08
dc.date.issued2012-10-19
dc.date.submittedAugust 2011
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/ETD-TAMU-2011-08-9913
dc.description.abstractResearch shows that people have difficulty forgetting inferences they make after reading a passage, even when the information that the inferences are based on is later known to be untrue. This dissertation examined the effects of these inferences on memory for political information and tested if the credibility of the source of the correction influences whether people use the correction, or continue relying on the original information when making inferences. According to source credibility theory, there are two main factors that contribute to credibility, expertise and trustworthiness. Experiment 1 examined credibility as a function of both expertise and trustworthiness. The results from this experiment showed that having a correction from a source who is high on both factors significantly decreased the use of the original information. Experiment 2 examined credibility as a function of expertise. The Experiment 2 results showed no significant decrease in participants' use of the original information, if a correction came from a source that was simply more expert (but not more trustworthy) than another source. This finding suggests that source expertise alone is not sufficient to reduce reliance on the original information. Experiment 3, which examined credibility as a function of trustworthiness, demonstrated that having a highly trustworthy source does significantly decrease the use of the original information when making inferences. This study is the first to provide direct support for the hypothesis that making the source of a correction more believable decreases use of the original discredited information when making inferences.en
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.subjectInferenceen
dc.subjectMemoryen
dc.subjectSource Credibilityen
dc.subjectPoliticsen
dc.subjectForgettingen
dc.titleTesting the Role of Source Credibility on Memory for Inferencesen
dc.typeThesisen
thesis.degree.departmentPsychologyen
thesis.degree.disciplinePsychologyen
thesis.degree.grantorTexas A&M Universityen
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophyen
thesis.degree.levelDoctoralen
dc.contributor.committeeMemberSmith, Steve
dc.contributor.committeeMemberVaid, Jyotsna
dc.contributor.committeeMemberParker-Stephen, Evan
dc.type.genrethesisen
dc.type.materialtexten


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