Working with Virtual Stoves and Lights: An Investigation of Memory Processing and Checking Behavior in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by invasive and alarming thoughts (e.g., “did I leave the stove on before leaving?”) that generate responses of repetitive behavior (e.g., “checking that the stove is off multiple times) in order to suppress those unwanted thoughts and prevent any accidents from happening (Toffolo, van den Hout, Radomsky, & Engelhard, 2015). In fact, one of the most common symptoms of individuals with OCD is repeatedly checking that they have completed tasks. Previous research has shown an association between checking behavior and a decrease in one’s memory confidence, in both clinical and non-clinical populations of OCD  (Toffolo et al., 2016; Hout, & Kindt, 2004). However, it is not certain that repetitive checking is indeed the factor that alters memory confidence in these studies. In the present study, subjects had to turn on and off a virtual stove and lights bulbs and then check whether they correctly turned them off. One condition checked the stove and lights only once, while the other condition checked 6 times for several trials. Additionally, half of the subjects in each condition vocalized the steps in their checking behavior as they did it. Then they were all tested on whether they remembered the knobs they manipulated and their confidence in their memory. If previous research is correct, I anticipate that participants under the condition with 1 check will do better than those under 6 checks. In addition, I predict that participants under the vocalization condition will have higher memory confidence and vividness than those who do not. Does actual repeated checking influence memory confidence and vividness? The answer to that question may provide a partial answer to why individuals repeatedly check.