In two experiments we examined the role of language proficiency and associative strength in the production of false memory. We constructed Deese–Roediger–McDermott lists using both Spanish and English free association norms. Lists were constructed to vary in backward associative strength (BAS). Experiment 1 participants were native Spanish speakers with some proficiency in English while Experiment 2 participants were native Spanish participants that had either high, intermediate, or low English proficiency. Results showed that, in both Experiment 1 and Experiment 2, false recognition was greater in participants’ dominant language (L1 or Spanish) than in their non-dominant language (L2 or English), and false recognition in L2 increased with L2 proficiency when low-BAS lists were studied (Experiment 2). Further, false recognition was higher in high-BAS lists than in low-BAS lists in both L1 and L2. Finally, we collected a measure of participants’ knowledge of our stimulus words in L2. These data showed that participants had far from perfect knowledge of all L2 stimuli. Analyses that factored out the effects of L2 word knowledge failed to alter the effects of L1 vs. L2, L2 proficiency and BAS on false recognition.

在两个实验中，我们检验了语言能力和联想强度在产生错误记忆中的作用。我们使用西班牙语和英语自由协会规范构建了 Deese-Roediger-McDermott 列表。构建的列表具有不同的向后联想强度 (BAS)。实验 1 的参与者是具有一定英语水平的西班牙语母语人士，而实验 2 的参与者是具有高、中或低英语水平的西班牙语参与者。结果表明，在实验 1 和实验 2 中，参与者的主导语言（L1 或西班牙语）的错误识别比他们的非主导语言（L2 或英语）更大，L2 的错误识别随着 L2 熟练程度的降低而增加。 -BAS 列表进行了研究（实验 2）。更远，在 L1 和 L2 中，高 BAS 列表中的错误识别率高于低 BAS 列表。最后，我们收集了参与者对 L2 中刺激词的了解程度。这些数据表明，参与者对所有 L2 刺激的了解还很远。排除 L2 单词知识影响的分析未能改变 L1 与 L2、L2 熟练程度和 BAS 对错误识别的影响。