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Related Experiment Videos

Memory for actions: self-performed tasks and the reenactment effect.

Neil W Mulligan1, Susan L Hornstein

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3270, USA. nmulligan@unc.edu

Memory & Cognition
|June 11, 2003
PubMed
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Performing actions (self-performed tasks, SPTs) improves memory more than observing (experimenter-performed tasks, EPTs). Reenacting actions enhances memory recognition, with different sensory feedback influencing SPTs versus EPTs.

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Memory Research
  • Motor Learning

Background:

  • Encoding action phrases through self-performance (SPTs) enhances memory recall compared to observation (EPTs) or auditory input.
  • Recognition memory for SPTs benefits from reenactment during testing.
  • Prior research suggests enactment effects are linked to motor encoding, but the precise sensory contributions remain debated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of sensory feedback (visual vs. motoric) in the reenactment effect for both self-performed tasks (SPTs) and experimenter-performed tasks (EPTs).
  • To determine if visual feedback is essential for the reenactment effect in SPTs.
  • To examine the generalizability of the hand congruency effect in relation to the reenactment effect.

Main Methods:

Related Experiment Videos

  • Four experiments were conducted involving participants performing or observing action phrases.
  • Recognition memory tests were administered, with some involving reenactment of actions.
  • Manipulations included blindfolding participants during testing and examining hand congruency between study and test phases.

    • Main Results:

    • A reenactment effect was observed for both SPTs and EPTs, suggesting a role for visual feedback.
    • The reenactment effect persisted for SPTs even when participants were blindfolded, indicating a non-visual basis.
    • A hand congruency effect was not consistently found, suggesting it is less generalizable than the reenactment effect.

    Conclusions:

    • The basis of the reenactment effect differs between SPTs and EPTs, with visual feedback being critical for EPTs but not SPTs.
    • Motor encoding plays a significant role in SPTs, potentially independent of visual input.
    • The findings challenge the universality of certain aspects of the motor-encoding hypothesis for the enactment effect.