Final answer:
Elizabeth Loftus demonstrated the ease of implanting false memories in college students by using leading questions, exemplified by an increase in the reported speed of seen events and recalling nonexistent broken glass after exposure to the verb 'smashed'.
Step-by-step explanation:
Cognitive psychologist Elizabeth Loftus has investigated how suggestive questioning can implant false memories in individuals. In one of her notable experiments, conducted with John Palmer in 1974, they demonstrated how using different verbs (such as 'smashed', 'bumped', etc.) in questions affected college students' recollection of the speed of cars in a filmed accident. The verb 'smashed' led participants to not only estimate a higher speed but also to falsely remember seeing broken glass that was not actually present. These experiments exemplify the misinformation effect, which can lead to flexible and sometimes inaccurate eyewitness memories.
In terms of success rates, Loftus's research indicates that it is relatively easy to implant false memories under certain conditions. This is particularly evident in the study where participants were more than twice as likely to report seeing non-existent broken glass when a leading question was used. This suggests a notable rate of success in altering participants' memories with false details.