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Judgment heuristics and recognition memory: prime identification and target-processing fluency.

P A Higham1, J R Vokey

  • 1University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada. higham@soton.ac.uk

Memory & Cognition
|August 18, 2000
PubMed
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Prime word identification can influence memory recognition. Initially, identifying a prime word increased the likelihood of recognizing it later, contrary to processing fluency theories. This effect shifted when participants avoided a heuristic, aligning with fluency predictions.

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Experimental Psychology
  • Memory Research

Background:

  • Current processing fluency theories predict that successful prime identification should decrease recognition accuracy for the target word.
  • This is because awareness of the prime provides an alternative explanation for fluency, reducing attributions to prior presentation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effect of prime word identification on subsequent target word recognition.
  • To test predictions derived from processing fluency theories regarding this effect.
  • To explore the role of heuristics versus processing fluency in recognition memory.

Main Methods:

  • Three experiments were conducted using a prime-target paradigm with briefly presented words.
  • Participants' ability to identify a prime word and their subsequent recognition of the target word were recorded.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Experiment 2 manipulated the availability of an alternative attribution for prime identification success (display duration).

    • Main Results:

    • Experiment 1 showed that prime identification unexpectedly increased the probability of recognizing the target word (P(old)).
    • This reversed effect was attributed to participants using a heuristic linking prime identification to prior presentation.
    • Experiment 2 demonstrated that when this heuristic was discouraged, prime identification decreased P(old), supporting processing fluency.
    • Experiment 3 confirmed these findings with fixed prime displays.

    Conclusions:

    • The influence of prime identification on recognition memory is not solely mediated by processing fluency.
    • Participants may employ heuristics based on prime identification success rather than solely relying on fluency.
    • Manipulating the availability of alternative explanations can shift reliance from heuristics to processing fluency in recognition tasks.