Imagery Induction Processes Differentially Impact Imagination Inflation

Imagining a fictitious childhood event can lead to a false belief in that event’s occurrence, an effect called imagination inflation. However, the nature of imagery induction can vary considerably and such differences have not been systematically addressed in the literature. In the current study, participants provided confidence ratings for a series of events before and after imagery exercises. We manipulated imagery instructions (guided vs. prompted, a between-subjects factor) as well as event valence (positive vs. negative, a within-subjects factor). Results revealed inflation effects only under guided imagery instructions with negative events being the most susceptible to inflation. Interestingly, a portion of our sample (24%) experienced decreases in confidence following imagery or imagination deflation. Content analyses of imagery reports provided a more thorough understanding of inflation and deflation effects within a source monitoring framework.