Stigma

Abstract This study examined the impact that positively and negatively loaded questions have on the memory reconstruction of individuals with high and low levels of stigma. The theoretical foundation for this study is based on research in memory reconstruction and stigma. Memories are influenced depending on the positive or negative connotations of specific words used to initiate recall. A self-report survey was used to divide participants into low or high stigma groups who viewed a …

…cup at his dad?), which do not lend themselves to ambiguity in interpretation and subsequent recall. Future research could ask more ambiguous questions that are more likely be answered differently by individuals with high and low levels of stigma. An ambiguous question, one that does not ask a participant to recall whether or not something happened, but rather a qualitative interpretation of that event, may be more likely to be influenced by an existing stereotype.