Partner-Provided Inferences Impact Memory

Prior research demonstrates that collective discourse surrounding shared experiences can impact subsequent memory. Correct information provided by a partner can improve the accuracy of subsequent memories, while inaccurate partner-provided information can decrease the accuracy of such recollections. Despite this focus on how post-event information provided by one’s peers can impact memory performance, the manner in which partner-provided inferential information affects memory has not been investigated. To date, the effects of inferences on subsequent memory performance have been primarily limited to examining situations where inferences were induced using narrative or pictoral stimuli. In the present study, we explored the influence of partner-provided inferential information on post-event memory accuracy. In Experiment 1, participants (n = 105) were instructed to read stories designed to induce inferences and were then randomly assigned to answer questions about the stories either alone or with a partner who exposed the participant to both accurate and inferential details about the story. Experiment 2 (n = 208) utilized a similar design but additionally manipulated the partner’s self-reported confidence in their own memory. Across both experiments, participants were more likely to falsely recognize inferences when those inferences were supplied by a partner. In Experiment 2, participants working with a highly confident partner falsely recognized more inferences than those paired with a low-confidence partner or working alone. These results suggest that collaborating with a partner, especially one expressing high confidence, reduced subsequent memory accuracy, indicating that confidence may enhance the transmission and acceptance of inferential information.