Retrieval-enhanced suggestibility (RES) refers to the finding that immediately recalling the details of a witnessed event can increase susceptibility to later misinformation. In three experiments, we sought to gain a deeper understanding of the role that retrieval plays in susceptibility to misinformation. Consistent with past research, initial testing did increase susceptibility to misinformation—but only for those who failed to detect discrepancies between the original event and the post-event misinformation. In all three experiments, subjects who retrospectively detected discrepancies in the post-event narratives were more resistant to misinformation than those who did not. In Experiments 2 and 3, retrospective detectors who took an initial test were more likely to endorse misinformation than those in the single test condition. These results indicate the complexity of the relationship between retrieval practice, discrepancy detection, and misinformation endorsement.

Retrieval-enhanced suggestibility (RES) refers to the finding that immediately recalling the details of a witnessed event can increase susceptibility to later misinformation. This finding is particularly surprising considering decades of research on the testing effect, which shows that retrieval practice enhances memory and protects learners against subsequent memory intrusions. Although many researchers have found RES effects in their experiments, many investigations into RES have yielded mixed or null results. Thus, retrieval-enhanced suggestibility is an intriguing finding deserving of empirical review through meta-analysis. The objectives of this dissertation are to: (a) test retrieval-enhanced suggestibility through experimentation in two new contexts; (b) identify the overall size of the retrieval-enhanced suggestibility effect; and (c) identify the methodological factors that moderate the size of the effect.