Researchers studying memory conformity have made significant advances in our understanding of the phenomenon, but have used methods with significant shortcomings. Mori's three-stage method addresses many of these concerns. To date the technique has not been replicated on a Western sample. We present such a study, and discuss two significant improvements to Mori's method. We found that subjects were more likely to report the correct answer for non-discussed critical details than discussed critical details. Our data also suggested that when subjects agreed with their partner's information during the discussion, they did so because they thought that information was accurate; only a minority of the time did they go along with their partner during discussion and revert to their own answer at the test. We draw parallels between the unknown mechanisms driving memory conformity effects and the search for mechanisms driving the misinformation effect two decades ago.

Research on memory conformity shows that collaborative remembering--typically in the form of discussion--can influence people's memories. One question that remains is whether it matters with whom we discuss our memories. To address this question we compared people's memories for an event after they discussed that event with either their romantic partner or a stranger. Pairs of subjects watched slightly different versions of a movie, and then discussed some details from the movie, but not others. Subjects were better at remembering non-discussed details than discussed details: when remembering discussed details they incorrectly reported information from their partner's version instead of their own. In addition, subjects who discussed the event with their romantic partner (rather than with a stranger) were even more likely to report false memories. We discuss our findings in relation to other research on memory conformity, social influences on false memories, and memory systems within romantic relationships.

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ObjectivesChanges in health care provision have led to an emphasis on providing end of life care within the home. Community pharmacists are well positioned to provide services to communitybased palliative care patients and carers. MethodsA multiple qualitative case study design was adopted. A total of 16 focus groups and 19 interviews with pharmacists, nurses, general practitioners and carers were undertaken across metropolitan and regional settings in Western Australia, New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. Data were analysed thematically using a framework that allowed similarities and differences across stakeholder groups and locations to be examined and compared. ResultsThree main themes emerged: Effective communication; Challenges to effective communication; and: Towards best practice, which comprised two themes: Community pharmacists' skills and Community pharmacists' needs. DiscussionA key component of the provision of palliative care was having effective communication skills. Although community pharmacists saw an opportunity to provide interpersonal support, they suggested that they would need to develop better communication skills to fulfil this role. ConclusionThere is clear need for continuing professional development in this area -particularly in communicating effectively and managing strong emotions. Practice implicationsCommunity pharmacists are willing to support palliative care patients and carers but need education, support and resources. Words: 203Key words: community pharmacists, palliative care, focus groups, effective communication, qualitative research 3 Background and objectivesSince the World Health Organisation 1 proposed that primary health should be at the forefront of health systems, patient care has increasingly been moved from hospital to the home. 2 This changing pattern of health care provision has led to an emphasis on providing care in the community to people at the end of life, 3 acknowledging that people prefer to die with the support of family and friends. 4 Achieving a death at home for a palliative care patient is dependent on a range of factors including the availability of skilled support from community based health professionals. 5-7The provision of this skilled support from health care professionals for community based palliative care, however, is complicated by unmet demand for General Practitioner (GP)services and an increasing number of patients with chronic diseases and complex care needs. 8Additionally an ageing population 9 will result in an increased number of people with chronic and/or life-threatening diseases and, consequently, the numbers of patients requiring palliative care. The involvement of community pharmacists in the provision of community based palliative care would seem an appropriate way of alleviating these challenges and supporting end-of-life care in the home.Although not forming the basis of their substantive work, community pharmacists are wellsuited to respond to the palliative care needs of clients, especially as they often have a...

Although people often reminisce about their past experiences, little research has assessed how discussion might influence people's autobiographical memories. There were two major aims to this study: first, to assess how adults' memories for genuine childhood experiences might be affected by discussion, and second, to extend research on false memories by exploring how memories for false events might be affected by discussion. Siblings attempted to recall four childhood events-three true and one false-three times independently, and then discussed their memories with each other. Results showed that subjects incorporated elements from each other's reports into their own; 24% also reported details about the false event by the end of the individual phase, although false reports dropped dramatically after the discussion phase. Our research shows discussion can influence both true and false autobiographical memories.