Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience

Memory Processes and Influences

Works Count: 29628

Wikipedia

Description

This cluster of papers explores the neural mechanisms underlying memory retrieval, including the roles of recollection and familiarity, metacognitive processes, emotional memory, and the testing effect. It also delves into the phenomena of forgetting and false memories.

Keywords

Memory Retrieval; Episodic Memory; Recollection; Familiarity; Metacognition; Emotional Memory; Testing Effect; Neural Correlates; Forgetting; False Memory

Metamemory: A Theoretical Framework and New Findings

1990-01-01

Thomas O. Nelson

Google Effects on Memory: Cognitive Consequences of Having Information at Our Fingertips

2011-07-15

Betsy Sparrow , Jenny Liu , Daniel M. Wegner

Owing to Internet search, we are more likely to encode “where” aspects of memory rather than “what.” Owing to Internet search, we are more likely to encode “where” aspects of memory rather than “what.”

Practical Aspects of Memory

1980-06-01

Eugene B. Zechmeister , Michael M. Gruneberg , Peter E. Morris +1 more

The psychology of judgment and decision making

1994-01-01

Scott Plous

Originally published in Contemporary Psychology: APA Review of Books, 1997, Vol 42(7), 581-582. Memory in Oral Traditions: The Cognitive Psychology of Epic, Ballads, and Counting-Out Rhymes (see record 1995-97902-000) is … Originally published in Contemporary Psychology: APA Review of Books, 1997, Vol 42(7), 581-582. Memory in Oral Traditions: The Cognitive Psychology of Epic, Ballads, and Counting-Out Rhymes (see record 1995-97902-000) is an intensive study of oral memory traditions by a cognitive psychologist. This

The generation effect: Delineation of a phenomenon.

1978-11-01

Norman J. Slamecka , Peter Graf

Five experiments are reported comparing memory for words that were generated by the subjects themselves with the same words when they were simply presented to be read. In all cases, … Five experiments are reported comparing memory for words that were generated by the subjects themselves with the same words when they were simply presented to be read. In all cases, performance in the generate condition was superior to that in the read condition. This held for measures of cued and uncued recognition, free and cued recall, and confidence ratings. The phenomenon persisted across variations in encoding rules, timed or selfpaced presentation, presence or absence of test information, and between- or within-subjects designs. The effect was specific to the response items under recognition testing but not under cued recall. A number of potential explanatory principles are considered, and their difficulties enumerated. It is concluded that the generation effect is real and that it poses an interesting interpretative problem. This is an empirically oriented article whose purpose is to report a set of simple experiments that establish the existence of a robust and interesting phenomenon of memory. This phenomenon, called the generation effect, is robust in that it manifests itself across a variety of testing procedures, encoding rules, and other situational changes. It is interesting in that it does not seem to be easily or satisfactoril y accommodated by any of the currently familiar explanatory notions. We expect that once the phenomenon is described in its initial form, it will be the subject of wider experimental analysis and will eventually become better understood. In contrast to the usual objective reasons for embarking upon a line of research, the present work was neither initiated by any extant theoretical issue nor inspired by any previously published findings. It was carried out with the sole purpose of arriving at a

Principles of Learning and Memory

1977-06-01

Bennet B. Murdock , Robert G. Crowder

Foreword to the Classic Edition by Henry L. Roediger, III, and James S. Nairne. Background Comments and Three Analytic Concepts. Iconic Memory. Echoic Memory. Recoding by Speech in Short-Term Memory. … Foreword to the Classic Edition by Henry L. Roediger, III, and James S. Nairne. Background Comments and Three Analytic Concepts. Iconic Memory. Echoic Memory. Recoding by Speech in Short-Term Memory. Nonverbal Memory. Primary Memory. Forgetting in Short-Term Memory. The Interference Theory of Forgetting in Long-Term Memory. The Effects of Repetition on Memory. The Organization of Memory in Free Recall. Retrieval. Serial Organization in Learning and Memory.

A retrieval model for both recognition and recall.

1984-01-01

Gary Gillund , Richard M. Shiffrin

Frontal lobes and human memory: Insights from functional neuroimaging

2001-05-01

Paul C. Fletcher

The new functional neuroimaging techniques, PET and functional MRI (fMRI), offer sufficient experimental flexibility and spatial resolution to explore the functional neuroanatomical bases of different memory stages and processes. They … The new functional neuroimaging techniques, PET and functional MRI (fMRI), offer sufficient experimental flexibility and spatial resolution to explore the functional neuroanatomical bases of different memory stages and processes. They have had a particular impact on our understanding of the role of the frontal cortex in memory processing. We review the insights that have been gained, and attempt a synthesis of the findings from functional imaging studies of working memory, encoding in episodic memory and retrieval from episodic memory. Though these different aspects of memory have usually been studied in isolation, we suggest that there is sufficient convergence with respect to frontal activations to make such a synthesis worthwhile. We concentrate in particular on three regions of the lateral frontal cortex—ventrolateral, dorsolateral and anterior—that are consistently activated in these studies, and attribute these activations to the updating/maintenance of information, the selection/manipulation/monitoring of that information, and the selection of processes/subgoals, respectively. We also acknowledge a number of empirical inconsistencies associated with this synthesis, and suggest possible reasons for these. More generally, we predict that the resolution of questions concerning the functional neuroanatomical subdivisions of the frontal cortex will ultimately depend on a fuller cognitive psychological fractionation of memory control processes, an enterprise that will be guided and tested by experimentation. We expect that the neuroimaging techniques will provide an important part of this enterprise.

View PDF Chat

Encoding specificity and retrieval processes in episodic memory.

1973-09-01

Endel Tulving , Donald M. Thomson

Affect, accessibility of material in memory, and behavior: A cognitive loop?

1978-01-01

Alice M. Isen , Thomas E. Shalker , Margaret S. Clark +1 more

Two studies investigated the effect of good mood on cognitive processes. In the first study, conducted in a shopping mall, a positive feeling state was induced by giving subjects a … Two studies investigated the effect of good mood on cognitive processes. In the first study, conducted in a shopping mall, a positive feeling state was induced by giving subjects a free gift, and good mood, thus induced, was found to improve subjects' evaluations of the performance and service records of products they owned. In the second study, in which affect was induced by having subjects win or lose a computer game in a laboratory setting, subjects who had won the game were found to be better able to recall positive material in memory. The results of the two studies are discussed in terms of the effect that feelings have on accessibility of cognitions. In addition, the nature of affect and the relationship between good mood and behavior (such as helping) are discussed in terms of this proposed cognitive process.

A process dissociation framework: Separating automatic from intentional uses of memory

1991-10-01

Larry L. Jacoby

Memory: a contribution to experimental psychology.

2013-10-01

Hermann Ebbinghaus

The first scientific text on the psychology of memory. Relating retention to repetition, describing the shape of the forgetting curve, and measuring strength of association, Hermann Ebbinghaus extended the province … The first scientific text on the psychology of memory. Relating retention to repetition, describing the shape of the forgetting curve, and measuring strength of association, Hermann Ebbinghaus extended the province of systematic, experimental research to the higher mental processes.

View PDF Chat

Recognizing: The judgment of previous occurrence.

1980-05-01

George Mandler

Several suggestions for a class of theories of recognition memory have been proposed during the past decade. These models address predictions about judgments of prior occurrence of an event, not … Several suggestions for a class of theories of recognition memory have been proposed during the past decade. These models address predictions about judgments of prior occurrence of an event, not the identification of what it is, The history and current status of one of these models is discussed. The model postulates the detection of familiarity and the utilization of retrieval mechanisms as additive and separate processes. The phenomenal experience of familiarity is assigned to intraevent organizational integrative processes; retrieval depends on interevent elaborative processes. Other current theoretical options are described, and relevant supportive data from the literature are reviewed. New tests of the model involving both free recall and word pair paradigms are presented. The dual process model is extended to the word frequency effect and to the recognition difficulties of amnesic patients. In general English usage the verb to recognize usually is denned as the act of perceiving something as previously known. It is an apparently clear as well as etymologically correct usage, that is, to know again. In this article the process of recognizing will be analyzed, but it will be restricted to the recognition of the prior occurrence of an event. This restriction follows psychological rather than common usage. Experimentation that addresses problems of recognition has typically required subjects to make judg. nents about prior encounters with some tar

View PDF Chat

Implicit and explicit memory for new associations in normal and amnesic subjects.

1985-01-01

Peter Graf , Daniel L. Schacter

Two experiments examined whether repetition priming effects on a word completion task are influenced by new associations between unrelated word pairs that were established during a single study trial. On … Two experiments examined whether repetition priming effects on a word completion task are influenced by new associations between unrelated word pairs that were established during a single study trial. On the word completion task, subjects were presented with the initial three letters of the response words from the study list pairs and they completed these fragments with the first words that came to mind. The fragments were shown either with the paired words from the study list (same context) or with other words (different context). Both experiments showed a larger priming effect in the same-context condition than in the different-context condition, but only with a study task that required elaborative processing of the word pairs. This effect was observed with college students and amnesic patients, suggesting that word completion performance is mediated by implicit memory for new associations that is independent of explicit recollection.

Aging and autobiographical memory: Dissociating episodic from semantic retrieval.

2002-01-01

Brian Levine , Eva Svoboda , Janine F. Hay +2 more

Cognitive aging research documents reduced access to contextually specific episodic details inolder adults, whereas access to semantic or other nonepisodic information is preserved or facilitated. The present study extended this … Cognitive aging research documents reduced access to contextually specific episodic details inolder adults, whereas access to semantic or other nonepisodic information is preserved or facilitated. The present study extended this finding to autobiographical memory by using a new measure; the Autobiographical Interview. Younger and older adults recalled events from 5 life periods. Protocols were scored according to a reliable system for categorizing episodic and nonepisodic information. Whereas younger adults were biased toward episodic details reflecting happenings, locations, perceptions, and thoughts, older adults favored semantic details not connected to a particular time and place. This pattern persisted after additional structured probing for contextual details. The Autobiographical Interview is a useful instrument for quantifying episodic and semantic contributions to personal remote memory.

Remembering can cause forgetting: retrieval dynamics in long-term memory.

1994-09-01

Michael C. Anderson , Robert A. Bjork , Elizabeth Ligon Bjork

Three studies show that the retrieval process itself causes long-lasting forgetting. Ss studied 8 categories (e.g., Fruit). Half the members of half the categories were then repeatedly practiced through retrieval … Three studies show that the retrieval process itself causes long-lasting forgetting. Ss studied 8 categories (e.g., Fruit). Half the members of half the categories were then repeatedly practiced through retrieval tests (e.g., Fruit Or_____). Category-cued recall of unpracticed members of practiced categories was impaired on a delayed test. Experiments 2 and 3 identified 2 significant features of this retrieval-induced forgetting: The impairment remains when output interference is controlled, suggesting a retrieval-based suppression that endures for 20 min or more, and the impairment appears restricted to high-frequency members. Low-frequency members show little impairment, even in the presence of strong, practiced competitors that might be expected to block access to those items. These findings suggest a critical role for suppression in models of retrieval inhibition and implicate the retrieval process itself in everyday forgetting.

Hopkins Verbal Learning Test – Revised: Normative Data and Analysis of Inter-Form and Test-Retest Reliability

1998-02-01

Ralph H. B. Benedict , David J. Schretlen , Lowell D. Groninger +1 more

Abstract The Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT) is a brief verbal learning and memory test with six alternate forms. The HVLT is ideal in situations calling for repeated neuropsychological examinations, … Abstract The Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT) is a brief verbal learning and memory test with six alternate forms. The HVLT is ideal in situations calling for repeated neuropsychological examinations, but it lacks a delayed recall trial which is essential for the assessment of abnormal forgetting. We present a revised version of the HVLT which includes a delayed recall trial, and therefore delays the yes/no recognition trial. The equivalence of test forms was examined in two separate studies using between-groups and within-subjects research designs. In both studies, the six forms of the revised HVLT (HVLT-R) were found to be equivalent with respect to the recall trials, but there were some modest differences in recognition. Recommendations for the use of the HVLT-R in serial neuropsychological examinations are provided, as well as normative data tables from a sample of 541 subjects, spanning ages 17 to 88 years.

Depth of processing and the retention of words in episodic memory.

1975-09-01

Fergus I. M. Craik , Endel Tulving

SUMMARY Ten experiments were designed to explore the levels of processing framework for human memory research proposed by Craik and Lockhart (1972). The basic notions are that the episodic memory … SUMMARY Ten experiments were designed to explore the levels of processing framework for human memory research proposed by Craik and Lockhart (1972). The basic notions are that the episodic memory trace may be thought of as a rather automatic by-product of operations carried out by the cognitive system and that the durability of the trace is a positive function of of processing, where depth refers to greater degrees of semantic involvement. Subjects were induced to process words to different depths by answering various questions about the words. For example, shallow encodings were achieved by asking questions about typescript; intermediate levels of encoding were accomplished by asking questions about rhymes; deep levels were induced by asking whether the word would fit into a given category or sentence frame. After the encoding phase was completed, subjects were unexpectedly given a recall or recognition test for the words. In general, deeper encodings took longer to accomplish and were associated with higher levels of performance on the subsequent memory test. Also, questions leading to positive responses were associated with higher retention levels than questions leading to negative responses, at least at deeper levels of encoding. Further experiments examined this pattern of effects in greater analytic detail. It was established that the original results did not simply reflect differential encoding times; an experiment was designed in which a complex but shallow task took longer to carry out but yielded lower levels of recognition than an easy, deeper task. Other studies explored reasons for the superior retention of words associated with positive responses on the initial task. Negative responses were remembered as well as positive responses when the questions led to an equally elaborate encoding in the two cases. The idea that elaboration or of encoding provides a better description of the results was given a further boost by the finding of the typical pattern of results under intentional learning conditions, and where each word was exposed for 6 sec in the initial phase. While spread and elaboration may indeed be better descriptive terms for the present findings, retention depends critically on the qualitative nature of the encoding operations performed; a minimal semantic analysis is more beneficial than an extensive structural analysis. Finally, Schulman's (1974) principle of congruity appears necessary for a complete description of the effects obtained. Memory performance is enhanced to the extent that the context, or encoding question, forms an integrated unit with the word presented. A congruous encoding yields superior memory performance because a more elaborate trace is laid down and because in such cases the structure of semantic memory can be utilized more effectively to facilitate retrieval. The article concludes with a discussion of the broader implications of these data and ideas for the study of human learning and memory,

Priming and Human Memory Systems

1990-01-19

Endel Tulving , Daniel L. Schacter

Priming is a nonconscious form of human memory, which is concerned with perceptual identification of words and objects and which has only recently been recognized as separate from other forms … Priming is a nonconscious form of human memory, which is concerned with perceptual identification of words and objects and which has only recently been recognized as separate from other forms of memory or memory systems. It is currently under intense experimental scrutiny. Evidence is converging for the proposition that priming is an expression of a perceptual representation system that operates at a pre-semantic level; it emerges early in development, and access to it lacks the kind of flexibility characteristic of other cognitive memory systems. Conceptual priming, however, seems to be based on the operations of semantic memory.

Availability versus accessibility of information in memory for words

1966-08-01

Endel Tulving , Zena Pearlstone

Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks: A review and quantitative synthesis.

2006-01-01

Nicholas J. Cepeda , Harold Pashler , Edward Vul +2 more

The authors performed a meta-analysis of the distributed practice effect to illuminate the effects of temporal variables that have been neglected in previous reviews. This review found 839 assessments of … The authors performed a meta-analysis of the distributed practice effect to illuminate the effects of temporal variables that have been neglected in previous reviews. This review found 839 assessments of distributed practice in 317 experiments located in 184 articles. Effects of spacing (consecutive massed presentations vs. spaced learning episodes) and lag (less spaced vs. more spaced learning episodes) were examined, as were expanding interstudy interval (ISI) effects. Analyses suggest that ISI and retention interval operate jointly to affect final-test retention; specifically, the ISI producing maximal retention increased as retention interval increased. Areas needing future research and theoretical implications are discussed.

View PDF Chat

Building Memories: Remembering and Forgetting of Verbal Experiences as Predicted by Brain Activity

1998-08-21

Anthony D. Wagner , Daniel L. Schacter , Michael Rotte +5 more

A fundamental question about human memory is why some experiences are remembered whereas others are forgotten. Brain activation during word encoding was measured using blocked and event-related functional magnetic resonance … A fundamental question about human memory is why some experiences are remembered whereas others are forgotten. Brain activation during word encoding was measured using blocked and event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine how neural activation differs for subsequently remembered and subsequently forgotten experiences. Results revealed that the ability to later remember a verbal experience is predicted by the magnitude of activation in left prefrontal and temporal cortices during that experience. These findings provide direct evidence that left prefrontal and temporal regions jointly promote memory formation for verbalizable events.

View PDF Chat

Overdependence on degraded gist memory in Alzheimer's disease.

2006-11-01

Javier Pagonabarraga , Jaime Kulisevsky , Gisela Llebaria +3 more

Alzheimer's disease (AD) reduces associative effects on false recognition in the Deese-Roediger-McDermott task, either due to impaired memory for gist or impaired use of gist in memory decisions. Gist processes … Alzheimer's disease (AD) reduces associative effects on false recognition in the Deese-Roediger-McDermott task, either due to impaired memory for gist or impaired use of gist in memory decisions. Gist processes were manipulated by blocking or mixing studied words according to their associations and by varying the associative strength between studied and nonstudied words at test. Both associative blocking and associative strength had smaller effects on false recognition in AD patients than in control participants, consistent with gist memory impairments. However, unlike the case with control participants, blocking influenced true and false recognition equally in AD patients, demonstrating an overdependence on gist when making memory decisions. AD also impaired item-specific recollections, relative to control participants, as true recognition of studied words was reduced even when the two groups were equated on gist-based false recognition. We propose that the overdependence on degraded gist memory in AD is caused by even larger impairments in item-specific recollections.

How many memory systems are there?

1985-04-01

Endel Tulving

Memory is made up of a number of interrelated systems, organized structures of operating components consisting of neural substrates and their behavioral and cognitive correlates. A ternary clas- sificatory scheme … Memory is made up of a number of interrelated systems, organized structures of operating components consisting of neural substrates and their behavioral and cognitive correlates. A ternary clas- sificatory scheme of is proposed in which procedural, semantic, and episodic constitute a monohierarchical arrangement: Episodic is a specialized subsystem of semantic memory, and semantic is a specialized subsystem of procedural The three systems differ from one another in a number of ways, including the kind of consciousness that characterizes their operations. The ternary scheme overlaps with di- chotomies and trichotomies of proposed by others. Evidence for multiple systems is derived from many sources. Illustrative data are provided by ex- periments in which direct priming effects are found to be both functionally and stochastically independent of recognition Solving puzzles in science has much in common with solving puzzles for amusement, but the two differ in important respects. Consider, for instance, the jigsaw puzzle that scientific activity frequently imitates. The everyday version of the puzzle is determinate: It consists of a target picture and jigsaw pieces that, when properly assembled, are guaranteed to match the picture. Scientific puzzles are indeter- minate: The number of pieces required to complete a picture is unpredictable; a particular piece may fit many pictures or none; it may fit only one picture, but the picture itself may be unknown; or the hypothetical picture may be imagined, but its com- ponent pieces may remain undiscovered. This article is about a current puzzle in the science of It entails an imaginary picture and a search for pieces that fit it. The picture, or the hypothesis, depicts as consisting of a number of systems, each system serving somewhat different purposes and operating according to some- what different principles. Together they form the marvelous capacity that we call by the single name of memory, the capacity that permits organisms to benefit from their past experiences. Such a picture is at variance with conventional wisdom that holds to be essentially a single system, the idea that memory is memory. The article consists of three main sections. In the first, 1 present some pretheoretical reasons for hypothesizing the existence of multiple systems and briefly discuss the concept of system. In the second, I describe a ternary classifi- catory scheme of memory--consisting of procedural, semantic, and episodic memory--and briefly com- pare this scheme with those proposed by others. In the third, I discuss the nature and logic of evidence for multiple systems and describe some experiments that have yielded data revealing independent effects of one and the same act of learning, effects seemingly at variance with the idea of a single system. I answer the question posed in the title of the article in the short concluding section.

Memory and consciousness.

1985-01-01

Endel Tulving

Pragmatics of measuring recognition memory: Applications to dementia and amnesia.

1988-01-01

Joan Gay Snodgrass , June Corwin

This article has two purposes. The first is to describe four theoretical models of yes-no recognition memory and present their associated measures of discrimination and response bias. These models are … This article has two purposes. The first is to describe four theoretical models of yes-no recognition memory and present their associated measures of discrimination and response bias. These models are then applied to a set of data from normal subjects to determine which pairs of discrimination and bias indices show independence between discrimination and bias. The following models demonstrated independence: a two-high-threshold model, a signal detection model with normal distributions using d' and C (rather than beta), and a signal detection model with logistic distributions and a bias measure analogous to C. C is defined as the distance of criterion from the intersection of the two underlying distributions. The second purpose is to use the indices from the acceptable models to characterize recognition memory deficits in dementia and amnesia. Young normal subjects, Alzheimer's disease patients, and parkinsonian dementia patients were tested with picture recognition tasks with repeated study-test trials. Huntington's disease patients, mixed etiology amnesics, and age-matched normals were tested by Butters, Wolfe, Martone, Granholm, and Cermak (1985) using the same paradigm with word stimuli. Demented and amnesic patients produced distinctly different patterns of abnormal memory performance. Both groups of demented patients showed poor discrimination and abnormally liberal response bias for words (Huntington's disease) and pictures (Alzheimer's disease and parkinsonian dementia), whereas the amnesic patients showed the worst discrimination but normal response bias for words. Although both signal detection theory and two-high-threshold discrimination parameters showed identical results, the bias measure from the two-high-threshold model was more sensitive to change than the bias measure (C) from signal detection theory. Three major points are emphasized. First, any index of recognition memory performance assumes an underlying model. Second, even acceptable models can lead to different conclusions about patterns of learning and forgetting. Third, efforts to characterize and ameliorate abnormal memory should address both discrimination and bias deficits.

A spreading activation theory of memory

1983-06-01

John R. Anderson

On the relationship between autobiographical memory and perceptual learning.

1981-01-01

Larry L. Jacoby , Mark Dallas

Although the majority of research on human memory has concentrated on a person's ability to recall or recognize items as having been presented in a particular situation, the effects of … Although the majority of research on human memory has concentrated on a person's ability to recall or recognize items as having been presented in a particular situation, the effects of memory are also revealed in a person's performance of a perceptual task. Prior experience with material can make that material more easily identified or comprehended in perceptually difficult situations. Unlike with standard retention tests, effects of prior experience on a perceptual task do not logically require that a person be aware that he or she is remembering. Indeed, amnesic patients purportedly show effects of practice in their subsequent performance of a perceptual or motor task even though they profess that they do not remember having engaged in that prior experience. The experiments that are reported were designed to explore the relationship between the more aware autobiographical form of memory that is measured by a recognition memory test and the less aware form of memory that is expressed in perceptual learning. Comparisons of effects on perceptual learning and recognition memory reveal two classes of variables. Variables such as the level of processing of words during study influenced recognition memory, although they had no effect on subsequent perceptual recognition. A study presentation of a word had as large an effect on its later perceptual recognition when recognition memory performance was very poor as it did when recognition memory performance was near perfect. In contrast, variables such as the number and the spacing of repetitions produced parallel effects on perceptual recognition and recognition memory. Following Mandler and others, it is suggested that there are two bases for recognition memory. If an item is readily perceived so that it seems to "jump out" from the page, a person is likely to judge that he or she has previously seen the item in the experimental situation. Variables that influence ease of perceptual recognition, then, can also have an effect on recognition memory, so parallel effects are found. The second basis for recognition memory involves elaboration of a word's study context and depends on such factors as level of processing during study--factors that are not important for perceptual recognition of isolated words. Comparisons of perceptual recognition and recognition memory are shown to be useful for determining how a variable has its effect. Effects of study on perceptual recognition appear to be totally due to memory for physical or graphemic information. Results reported are also relevant to theories of perceptual learning. A single presentation of an item is shown to have large and long-lasting effects on its later perceptual recognition. At least partially, effects of study on perceptual recognition depend on the same variables as do effects on more standard memory tests.

The Critical Importance of Retrieval for Learning

2008-02-14

Jeffrey D. Karpicke , Henry L. Roediger

Learning is often considered complete when a student can produce the correct answer to a question. In our research, students in one condition learned foreign language vocabulary words in the … Learning is often considered complete when a student can produce the correct answer to a question. In our research, students in one condition learned foreign language vocabulary words in the standard paradigm of repeated study-test trials. In three other conditions, once a student had correctly produced the vocabulary item, it was repeatedly studied but dropped from further testing, repeatedly tested but dropped from further study, or dropped from both study and test. Repeated studying after learning had no effect on delayed recall, but repeated testing produced a large positive effect. In addition, students' predictions of their performance were uncorrelated with actual performance. The results demonstrate the critical role of retrieval practice in consolidating learning and show that even university students seem unaware of this fact.

View PDF Chat

Coding Processes in Human Memory

1973-09-01

Lloyd R. Peterson , Arthur W. Melton , Edwin Martin

Creating false memories: Remembering words not presented in lists.

1995-07-01

Henry L. Roediger , Kathleen B. McDermott

False memories—either remembering events that never happened, or remembering them quite differently from the way they happened—have recently captured the attention of both psychologists and the public at large. primary … False memories—either remembering events that never happened, or remembering them quite differently from the way they happened—have recently captured the attention of both psychologists and the public at large. primary impetus for this recent surge of interest is the increase in the number of cases in which memories of previously unrecognized abuse are reported during the course of therapy. Some researchers have argued that certain therapeutic practices can cause the creation of false memories, and therefore, the apparent recovery of memories during the course of therapy may actually represent the creation of memories (Lindsay & Read, 1994; Loftus, 1993). Although the concept of false memories is currently enjoying an increase in publicity, it is not new; psychologists have been studying false memories in several laboratory paradigms for years. Schacter (in press) provides an historical overview of the study of memory distortions. Bartlett (1932) is usually credited with conducting the first experimental investigation of false memories; he had subjects read an Indian folktale, The War of the Ghosts, and recall it repeatedly. Although he reported no aggregate data, but only sample protocols, his results seemed to show distortions in subjects' memories over repeated attempts to recall the story. Interestingly, Bartlett's repeated reproduction results never have been successfully replicated by later researchers (see Gauld & Stephenson, 1967; Roediger, Wheeler, & Rajaram, 1993); indeed, Wheeler and Roediger (1992) showed that recall of prose passages (including The War of the Ghosts)

View PDF Chat

A theory of memory retrieval.

1978-03-01

Roger Ratcliff

A theory of memory retrieval is developed and is shown to apply over a range of experimental paradigms. Access to memory traces is viewed in terms of a resonance metaphor. … A theory of memory retrieval is developed and is shown to apply over a range of experimental paradigms. Access to memory traces is viewed in terms of a resonance metaphor. The probe item evokes the search set on the basis of probe-memory item relatedness, just as a ringing tuning fork evokes sympathetic vibrations in other tuning forks. Evidence is accumulated in parallel from each probe-memory item comparison, and each comparison is modeled by a continuous random walk process. In item recognition, the decision process is self-terminating on matching comparisons and exhaustive on nonmatching comparisons. The mathematical model produces predictions about accuracy, mean reaction time, error latency, and reaction time distributions that are in good accord with experimental data. The theory is applied to four item recognition paradigms (Sternberg, prememorized list, study-test, and continuous) and to speed-accuracy paradigms; results are found to provide a basis for comparison of these paradigms. It is noted that neural network models can be interfaced to the retrieval theory with little difficulty and that semantic memory models may benefit from such a retrieval scheme.

Mood and memory.

1981-01-01

Gordon H. Bower

This article describes experiments in which happy or sad moods were induced in subjects by hyp- notic suggestion to investigate the influence of emo- tions on memory and thinking. One … This article describes experiments in which happy or sad moods were induced in subjects by hyp- notic suggestion to investigate the influence of emo- tions on memory and thinking. One result was that subjects exhibited mood-state-dependent memory in recall of word lists, personal experiences recorded in a daily diary, and childhood experiences; people recalled a greater percentage of those experiences that were affectively congruent with the mood they were in dur- ing recall. Second, emotion powerfully influenced such cognitive processes as free associations, imaginative fantasies, social perceptions, and snap judgments about others' personalities (e.g., angry subjects generated an- gry associates, told hostile stories, and were prone to find fault with others). Third, when the feeling-tone of a narrative agreed with the reader's emotion, the salience and memorability of events in that narrative were increased. Thus, sad readers attended more to sad material, identified with a sad character from a story, and recalled more about that character. An associative network theory is proposed to account for these several results. In this theory, an emotion serves as a memory unit that can enter into associations with coincident events. Activation of this emotion unit aids retrieval of events associated with it; it also primes emotional themata for use in free association, fantasies, and per- ceptual categorization.

Finding the Self? An Event-Related fMRI Study

2002-07-01

William M. Kelley , C. Neil Macrae , Carrie L. Wyland +3 more

Abstract Researchers have long debated whether knowledge about the self is unique in terms of its functional anatomic representation within the human brain. In the context of memory function, knowledge … Abstract Researchers have long debated whether knowledge about the self is unique in terms of its functional anatomic representation within the human brain. In the context of memory function, knowledge about the self is typically remembered better than other types of semantic information. But why does this memorial effect emerge? Extending previous research on this topic (see Craik et al., 1999), the present study used event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate potential neural substrates of self-referential processing. Participants were imaged while making judgments about trait adjectives under three experimental conditions (self-relevance, other-relevance, or case judgment). Relevance judgments, when compared to case judgments, were accompanied by activation of the left inferior frontal cortex and the anterior cingulate. A separate region of the medial prefrontal cortex was selectively engaged during self-referential processing. Collectively, these findings suggest that self-referential processing is functionally dissociable from other forms of semantic processing within the human brain.

The critical role of retrieval practice in long-term retention

2010-10-18

Henry L. Roediger , Andrew C. Butler

View PDF Chat

Toward a theory of episodic memory: The frontal lobes and autonoetic consciousness.

1997-01-01

Mark A. Wheeler , Donald T. Stuss , Endel Tulving

Adult humans are capable of remembering prior events by mentally traveling back in time to re-experience those events. In this review, the authors discuss this and other related capabilities, considering … Adult humans are capable of remembering prior events by mentally traveling back in time to re-experience those events. In this review, the authors discuss this and other related capabilities, considering evidence from such diverse sources as brain imaging, neuropsychological experiments, clinical observations, and developmental psychology. The evidence supports a preliminary theory of episodic remembering, which holds that the prefrontal cortex plays a critical, supervisory role in empowering healthy adults with autonoetic consciousness-the capacity to mentally represent and become aware of subjective experiences in the past, present, and future. When a rememberer mentally travels back in subjective time to re-experience his or her personal past, the result is an act of retrieval from episodic memory.

The Power of Testing Memory: Basic Research and Implications for Educational Practice

2006-08-30

Henry L. Roediger , Jeffrey D. Karpicke

A powerful way of improving one's memory for material is to be tested on that material. Tests enhance later retention more than additional study of the material, even when tests … A powerful way of improving one's memory for material is to be tested on that material. Tests enhance later retention more than additional study of the material, even when tests are given without feedback. This surprising phenomenon is called the testing effect, and although it has been studied by cognitive psychologists sporadically over the years, today there is a renewed effort to learn why testing is effective and to apply testing in educational settings. In this article, we selectively review laboratory studies that reveal the power of testing in improving retention and then turn to studies that demonstrate the basic effects in educational settings. We also consider the related concepts of dynamic testing and formative assessment as other means of using tests to improve learning. Finally, we consider some negative consequences of testing that may occur in certain circumstances, though these negative effects are often small and do not cancel out the large positive effects of testing. Frequent testing in the classroom may boost educational achievement at all levels of education.

Levels of processing versus transfer appropriate processing

1977-10-01

Catherine Morris , John D. Bransford , Jeffery J. Franks

VISUAL IMAGERY DIFFERENCES IN THE RECALL OF PICTURES

1973-02-01

David F Marks

Male and female subjects who differed in their verbal reports of visual image vividness were tested for recall in three experiments involving coloured photographs as stimuli. In all three experiments … Male and female subjects who differed in their verbal reports of visual image vividness were tested for recall in three experiments involving coloured photographs as stimuli. In all three experiments subjects who reported vivid visual imagery were more accurate in recall than subjects who reported poor visual imagery. In the first two experiments, females recalled more accurately than males. On the assumption that vividness reports and recall were both mediated by the same covert event ‐ a visual image ‐ these results provide further evidence that images have an important role in memory.

Repetition priming and frequency attenuation in lexical access.

1984-10-01

Kenneth I. Forster , Chris Davis

Repetition priming effects in lexical decision tasks are stronger for low-frequency words than for high-frequency words. This frequency attenuation effect creates problems for frequency-ordered search models that assume a relatively … Repetition priming effects in lexical decision tasks are stronger for low-frequency words than for high-frequency words. This frequency attenuation effect creates problems for frequency-ordered search models that assume a relatively stable frequency effect. The suggestion is made that frequency attenuation is a product of the involvement of the episodic memory system in the lexical decision process. This hypothesis is supported by the demonstration of constant repetition effects for high- and low-frequency words when the priming stimulus is masked; the masking is assumed to minimize the influence of any possible episodic trace of the prime. It is further shown that long-term repetition effects are much less reliable when the subject is not required to make a lexical decision response to the prime. When a response is required, the expected frequency attenuation effect is restored. It is concluded that normal repetition effects consist of two components: a very brief lexical effect that is independent of frequency and a long-term episodic effect that is sensitive to frequency. There has been much recent interest in the fact that in a lexical decision experiment, where subjects are required to classify letter strings as words or nonwords, there is a substantial increase in both the speed and the accuracy of classificatio n for words that are presented more than once during the experiment, even though considerable time may have elapsed between successive presen

The Nature of Recollection and Familiarity: A Review of 30 Years of Research

2002-04-01

Andrew P. Yonelinas

Self-reference and the encoding of personal information.

1977-01-01

Tim Rogers , Nicholas A. Kuiper , W. S. Kirker

The degree to which the self is implicated in processing personal information was investigated. Subjects rated adjectives on four tasks designed to force varying kinds of encoding: structural, phonemic, semantic, … The degree to which the self is implicated in processing personal information was investigated. Subjects rated adjectives on four tasks designed to force varying kinds of encoding: structural, phonemic, semantic, and self-reference. In two experiments, incidental recall of the rated words indicated that adjectives rates under the self-reference task were recalled the best. These results indicate that self-reference is a rich and powerful encoding process. As an aspect of the human information-processing system, the self appears to function as a superordinate schema that is deeply involved in the processing, interpretation, and memory of personal information.

Ease of retrieval as information: Another look at the availability heuristic.

1991-08-01

Norbert Schwarz , Herbert Bless , Fritz Strack +3 more

Experienced ease of recall was found to qualify the implications of recalled content. Ss who had to recall 12 examples of assertive (unassertive) behaviors, which was difficult, rated themselves as … Experienced ease of recall was found to qualify the implications of recalled content. Ss who had to recall 12 examples of assertive (unassertive) behaviors, which was difficult, rated themselves as less assertive (less unassertive) than subjects who had to recall 6 examples, which was easy In fact, Ss reported higher assertiveness after recalling 12 unassertive rather than 12 assertive behaviors. Thus, self-assessments only reflected the implications of recaUed content if recall was easy The impact of ease of recall was eliminated when its informational value was discredited by a misattribution manipulation. The informative functions of subjective experiences are discussed.

View PDF Chat

Test-Enhanced Learning

2006-02-23

Henry L. Roediger , Jeffrey D. Karpicke

Taking a memory test not only assesses what one knows, but also enhances later retention, a phenomenon known as the testing effect. We studied this effect with educationally relevant materials … Taking a memory test not only assesses what one knows, but also enhances later retention, a phenomenon known as the testing effect. We studied this effect with educationally relevant materials and investigated whether testing facilitates learning only because tests offer an opportunity to restudy material. In two experiments, students studied prose passages and took one or three immediate free-recall tests, without feedback, or restudied the material the same number of times as the students who received tests. Students then took a final retention test 5 min, 2 days, or 1 week later. When the final test was given after 5 min, repeated studying improved recall relative to repeated testing. However, on the delayed tests, prior testing produced substantially greater retention than studying, even though repeated studying increased students' confidence in their ability to remember the material. Testing is a powerful means of improving learning, not just assessing it.

Implicit memory: History and current status.

1987-07-01

Daniel L. Schacter

Memory for a recent event can be expressed explicitly, as conscious recollection, or implicitly, as a facilitation of test performance without conscious recollection. A growing number of recent studies have … Memory for a recent event can be expressed explicitly, as conscious recollection, or implicitly, as a facilitation of test performance without conscious recollection. A growing number of recent studies have been concerned with implicit memory and its relation to explicit memory. This article presents an historical survey of observations concerning implicit memory, reviews the findings of contemporary experimental research, and delineates the strengths and weaknesses of alternative theoretical accounts of implicit memory. It is argued that dissociations between implicit and explicit memory have been documented across numerous tasks and subject populations, represent an important challenge for research and theory, and should be viewed in the context of other dissociations between implicit and explicit expressions of knowledge that have been documented in recent cognitive and neuropsychological research. Psychological studies of memory have traditionally relied on tests such as free recall, cued recall, and recognition. A prominent feature of these tests is that they make explicit reference to, and require conscious recollection of, a specific learning episode. During the past several years, however, increasing attention has been paid to experimental situations in which information that was encoded during a particular episode is subsequently expressed without conscious or deliberate recollection. Instead of being asked to try to remember recently presented information, subjects are simply required to perform a task, such as completing a graphemic fragment of a word, indicating

Memory: A contribution to experimental psychology.

1913-01-01

Hermann Ebbinghaus

Source monitoring.

1993-01-01

Michael K. Johnson , Shahin Hashtroudi , D. Stephen Lindsay

A framework for understanding source monitoring and relevant empirical evidence is described, and several related phenomena are discussed: old-new recognition, indirect tests, eyewitness testimony, misattributed familiarity, cryptomnesia, and incorporation of … A framework for understanding source monitoring and relevant empirical evidence is described, and several related phenomena are discussed: old-new recognition, indirect tests, eyewitness testimony, misattributed familiarity, cryptomnesia, and incorporation of fiction into fact. Disruptions in source monitoring (e.g., from confabulation, amnesia, and aging) and the brain regions that are involved are also considered, and source monitoring within a general memory architecture is discussed. It is argued that source monitoring is based on qualities of experience resulting from combinations of perceptual and reflective processes, usually requires relatively differentiated phenomenal experience, and involves attributions varying in deliberateness. These judgments evaluate information according to flexible criteria and are subject to error and disruption. Furthermore, diencephalic and temporal regions may play different roles in source monitoring than do frontal regions of the brain.

Human associative memory

1974-01-01

Mastering Your Viva

2025-06-25

Alan Swiercz , Melissa Mesek | IGI Global eBooks

This chapter explores the purpose of a Viva, with a particular emphasis on providing guidance to Ph.D. candidates on how to successfully complete it within the United States (U.S.) academic … This chapter explores the purpose of a Viva, with a particular emphasis on providing guidance to Ph.D. candidates on how to successfully complete it within the United States (U.S.) academic context. Using secondary literature sources, the chapter informs Ph.D. candidates about the Viva examination. It explains what a Viva is and why it is necessary, outlines the examination process and outcomes, provides practice and preparation strategies, presents frequently asked Viva questions, and delivers tips and encouragement to support candidates in successfully passing their Viva. The literature findings highlight that practice and preparation are key for success. Ph.D. candidates can enhance their readiness by managing their time effectively, having an in-depth knowledge of their doctoral thesis and their examiners' publications, practicing common Viva questions through Mock Viva sessions, and understanding how to manage anxiety before, during and after the examination. Knowing how to navigate the Viva process is essential, as it marks the final stage of the Ph.D. journey.

Does Covert Retrieval Benefit Adolescents’ Learning in 8th Grade Science Classes?

2025-06-23

Amber E. Witherby , Paige E. Northern , Sarah K. Tauber | Behavioral Sciences

Retrieval practice can benefit students’ long-term learning. However, no prior investigations have explored the degree to which response mode—overt versus covert retrieval—moderates the impact of retrieval practice on adolescents’ learning … Retrieval practice can benefit students’ long-term learning. However, no prior investigations have explored the degree to which response mode—overt versus covert retrieval—moderates the impact of retrieval practice on adolescents’ learning in a classroom context. To explore this issue, 8th grade students learned science concepts that were required for their class. They learned terms in their middle school classrooms by recalling and writing them down (overt retrieval), mentally recalling (covert retrieval), or restudying definitions. They practiced each strategy in 5 sessions and took final tests 2 days later. The impact of covert retrieval on students’ learning was similar to that of restudy, and both covert retrieval and restudy were less beneficial relative to overt retrieval. Treatment package effectiveness differed somewhat between students and terms. These outcomes are generally consistent with the retrieval dynamics hypothesis and reveal that response mode can impact the effectiveness of retrieval practice in middle school classrooms.

The relationship between latent inhibition, divergent thinking, and eyewitness memory: A study on attention to irrelevant stimuli

2025-06-23

Ixone Badiola-Lekue , Naiara Arriola , Gabriel Rodrı́guez | PLoS ONE

Latent inhibition is a retardation in learning about a stimulus due to its prior exposure without explicit consequences. It has been suggested that individuals who tend to show less latent … Latent inhibition is a retardation in learning about a stimulus due to its prior exposure without explicit consequences. It has been suggested that individuals who tend to show less latent inhibition possess a "leaky" attentional style, finding it difficult to inhibit the processing of irrelevant information, which would manifest as an ability to generate uncommon and creative ideas. In the present study, we tested this hypothesis within a new framework-the field of eyewitness memory-by investigating whether the degree of attenuated latent inhibition is associated with the inclusion of more peripheral (seemingly irrelevant) information in testimonies about a witnessed event. In an experiment involving 116 university students, the LI Group was pre-exposed without masking to a target auditory stimulus without consequences, while the CTRL Group did not receive this pre-exposure. Subsequently, both groups engaged in a learning phase where they had to learn the association between the target stimulus and a novel outcome. A latent inhibition effect was observed, with participants in the LI Group showing retardation in learning this association compared to the CTRL Group. Additionally, all participants completed the Alternative Uses Task to assess divergent thinking and provided eyewitness testimonies based on the viewing of a video of a criminal event. We confirmed the known relationship between attenuated latent inhibition and creativity, finding that the lesser the latent inhibition exhibited, the higher the performance on the Alternative Uses Task. Moreover, we found that a lower degree of latent inhibition was associated with a higher number of peripheral details included in the testimonies. These results are discussed in terms of the leaky attention hypothesis, and an alternative explanation based on cognitive flexibility. According to this, individuals exhibiting attenuated latent inhibition may have an intact capacity to ignore irrelevant stimuli but would be highly efficient at rapidly redirecting their attention when changes occur.

Judgments of learning enhance elaborative rather than relational processing: Implications from phonologically related and phonological-semantic mediated pairs

2025-06-21

Min Chang , Charles J. Brainerd | Journal of Memory and Language

The role of familiarity and recollection in value-based decisions

2025-06-20

Tamara Gomilsek , Wolfgang Gaissmaier , J. Hoffmȧnn | Cognition

Value-based decisions often require retrieving previous experiences from memory. A sense of familiarity, the subjective feeling of having encountered an option before, guides these search and decision processes. The current … Value-based decisions often require retrieving previous experiences from memory. A sense of familiarity, the subjective feeling of having encountered an option before, guides these search and decision processes. The current work explores the scope and boundaries of familiarity-based retrieval in predicting value-based decisions. To reach this goal, we formulate a familiarity-based decision making model (FB-DMM) that relies upon global matching of the current options to previously seen choice options within the current context. FB-DMM predicts that people prefer frequently encountered options to less frequent ones and explains why familiarity elicits preferences for high-value rather than low-value options. In Experiment 1, FB-DMM predicted participants' choices well when participants chose between option pairs with the same frequency of encounters, but different values. Against FB-DMM's prediction, participants rejected frequently repeated options with low values, indicating that individuals may have recollected the options' values instead. Experiment 2 aimed to diminish recollection-based processing by restricting decision times. Imposing time pressure reduced accuracy of participants' choices and slightly reduced decisions against familiar options with low values. A comparison of FB-DMM to a recollection-based model indicated that participants engaged less in recollection-based retrieval under time pressure. Taken together, our results suggest that familiarity-based matching processes capture a wider range of decision phenomena than suggested initially. Still, FB-DMM needs to be complemented by recollection-based processes to explain decisions going beyond the familiarity principle.

Implicit effect of visual long-term memory for nonverbal objects on recognition judgment

2025-06-20

Tomoe Masuoka , Megumi Nishiyama , Yuna Tsurusaki +1 more | Attention Perception & Psychophysics

Experience-inconsistent anchor biases judgments of learning

2025-06-19

Kenji Ikeda , Yosuke Hattori | Metacognition and Learning

Autobiographical memories prime semantic memories on conceptual implicit memory tasks

2025-06-17

John H. Mace , H Aaron | Memory & Cognition

Does Retrieval Demand Moderate the Effectiveness of Covert Retrieval Practice? Comparing Covert and Overt Retrieval Practice for Learning Key Terms and Definitions

2025-06-17

Michelle L. Rivers , Paige E. Northern , Sarah K. Tauber | Educational Psychology Review

Editorial: Synthesizing memory: integrating across fields and levels of scale

2025-06-17

Marian E. Berryhill , Lauren L. Richmond | Frontiers in Cognition

Supplemental Material for “Reading” a Visual Scene: The Effect of Spatially Grounded Expectations on Memory

2025-06-16

| Journal of Experimental Psychology General

Intentions to forget and the importance of interference: further tests of the strategic retrieval account of recent list-method directed forgetting

2025-06-14

Liz T. Gilbert , Peter F. Delaney | Memory

Several list-method directed forgetting studies found that people can forget the most recent of two lists when instructed to, a phenomenon termed recent directed forgetting. The present paper tested predictions … Several list-method directed forgetting studies found that people can forget the most recent of two lists when instructed to, a phenomenon termed recent directed forgetting. The present paper tested predictions from [Gilbert, L. T., Delaney, P. F., & Racsmány, M. (2023). People sometimes remember to forget: Strategic retrieval from the list before last enables directed forgetting of the most recent information. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition, 49(6), 900-925. https://doi.org/10.1037/xlm0001178] strategic retrieval account of recent directed forgetting, which proposes that people try to forget the most recent list by retrieving earlier-studied items, creating interference and new learning necessary to forget. Experiments 1 and 2 confirmed the prediction that without intentions to forget, instructions to retrieve List 1 promote forgetting of List 2. Experiments 3 and 4 tested anticipated boundary conditions of strategic retrieval. First, recognition testing eliminated the forgetting effect (Experiment 3). Second, categorised lists were expected to allow forgetting only when both lists were drawn from the same semantic category, as opposed to unrelated categories (Experiment 4). Contrary to our prediction, categorised lists showed significant forgetting under both conditions, despite reducing interference. The results suggest a dissociation between changing context via retrieval of earlier context and the process of "setting" context by studying new items after a context change.

Testing the Identical Effect on Predicted and Actual Memory Through Pictorial Stimuli

2025-06-11

Miri Besken , Gizem Filiz | Experimental Psychology (formerly Zeitschrift für Experimentelle Psychologie)

Abstract: People tend to predict better memory for identical word pairs (e.g., DOG–DOG) than related ones (e.g., DOG–CAT), despite remembering related pairs more accurately—a phenomenon known as the identical effect. … Abstract: People tend to predict better memory for identical word pairs (e.g., DOG–DOG) than related ones (e.g., DOG–CAT), despite remembering related pairs more accurately—a phenomenon known as the identical effect. Across three experiments, we examined whether this illusion extends to pictorial materials and investigated the roles of processing fluency and a priori beliefs. Participants studied image pairs that were identical, exemplars, related, unrelated, or rotated (in Experiment 3). After each pair, they made judgments of learning (JOLs), and memory was later tested by a cued four-alternative forced-choice (4-AFC) recognition test. Consistently, identical image pairs received higher JOLs than related ones, despite equivalent or poorer recall. Identical pairs were also identified more quickly, reflecting greater processing fluency. However, identification speed did not consistently predict JOLs, suggesting that processing fluency alone cannot explain the illusion. These findings indicate that both processing fluency and beliefs influence JOLs, with beliefs about the pair types playing a central role.

Counting days is a spacing incentive that unlocks the potential of low GPA students

2025-06-05

Iman YeckehZaare , Paul Resnick | npj Science of Learning

The power of many: The role of global matching in the episodic flanker compatibility effect

2025-05-30

Gordon D. Logan , Simon D. Lilburn | Memory & Cognition

Memory: Rehearsal and Development

2025-05-30

Michael Twaits | Routledge eBooks

Aphantasia does not affect veridical and false memory: Evidence from the DRM paradigm

2025-05-28

Kata Pauly‐Takacs , Saeed Younus , Natasha Sigala +1 more

Aphantasia is defined as the reduced capacity to form mental images voluntarily. Previous research provided mixed evidence regarding the effect this individual variation may have on other areas of cognition … Aphantasia is defined as the reduced capacity to form mental images voluntarily. Previous research provided mixed evidence regarding the effect this individual variation may have on other areas of cognition and different aspects of memory. This study investigated how a reduction in mental imagery affects verbal memory with a specific focus on false memory generation by comparing the performance of aphantasic and non-aphantasic control participants in the Deese-Roediger-McDermott paradigm. Correlational analyses revealed that higher visual imagery ability was weakly associated with better free recall performance but also more extra-list recall intrusions. However, contrary to expectations, the experimental findings demonstrated no differential effect of aphantasia on veridical or false memory in either free recall or recognition suggesting that aphantasia does not protect against verbal false memory generation. Future work should consider the effect of aphantasia on false memory generation using visual variants of the DRM task.

Neural Mechanisms of Memory Formation for Tailored Messages: A Neuroimaging Study

2025-05-27

Luis‐Alberto Casado‐Aranda , Juan Sánchez‐Fernández , Lucía Porcu +1 more

Learning from errors: deliberate errors enhance learning

2025-05-27

Xiuyun Qiang , Xiaofeng Ma , Tiantian Li