Telling a good story: Fantasy proneness and the quality of fabricated memories

In two studies, we examined whether fantasy prone people are superior storytellers. In study 1, participants high or low on fantasy proneness (N=25) were instructed to fabricate a memory about an aversive childhood event. Independent judges rated stories of high fantasy prones as more emotional, more plausible, and richer in Criteria Based Content Analysis (CBCA) elements than those of low fantasy prone people. In study 2, high and low fantasy prone participants (N=38) wrote down a true and a fabricated story about a negative event. Although the stories of the two groups did not differ in terms of emotionality or plausibility ratings, both true and fabricated stories of high fantasy prones were rated as being richer in CBCA elements than those of low fantasy prone controls. Taken together, the two studies show that fantasy proneness affects CBCA ratings. Forensic experts employing this tool would be well advised to take into account the potential confounding influence that fantasy proneness might have on CBCA evaluations.