Memory, metamemory, and false memory for features of the Apple logo

Abstract

AbstractOur memory for common, easily recognizable logos, like the Apple logo, is surprisingly poor because of attentional saturation, where we stop attending to details of frequently encountered objects. This lack of attention to details may leave us susceptible to misinformation effects. Across four experiments, we tested recognition memory for the Apple logo after incidentally encoding an accurate or altered version of the logo (Experiments 1–3), or after no incidental encounter of the logo prior to the surprise test (Experiment 4). Additionally, participants rated how much they liked the logo as a measure of processing fluency. Results demonstrated that incidentally viewing an altered version of the Apple logo can disrupt subsequent recognition of the correct logo, but this effect may diminish following a short delay. Considering our frequent exposure to everyday stimuli, we show conditions in which memory for a ubiquitous stimulus can be disrupted when incidentally presented with inaccurate information.