American Research Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Previous research has already proven and defined the existence of Choice-Supportive Misremembering. In general, research in this field has found that after making a decision, participants will misremember attributes in a way that favors their chosen option. In this present study, we explore the relationship between stereotypes and post-choice misremembering occurring within the college application setting. Participants were administered two tests: one choice test for them to choose between two applicants, and one memory test where they attributed each item presented to them on the choice test to an applicant. Across the sample, participants were more likely to attribute stereotype-linked activities to the applicant belonging to the population targeted by these stereotypes. These results prove the impact stereotypes have on memory errors, and prompts us to be more wary of making quick decisions.