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Illusory recollection and dual-process models of recognition memory
Philip A Higham1, John R Vokey
1Department of Psychology, University of Southampton, Highfield, UK. higham@soton.ac.uk
Summary
Display duration influences memory illusions. Increased prime duration led to false recognition reports, suggesting both familiarity and recollection are affected, challenging fluency heuristic predictions.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Memory Research
- Human Perception
Background:
- Previous research indicated that brief word display duration increases false recognition.
- The fluency heuristic suggests this effect is limited to subjective familiarity.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the subjective experience of this memory illusion.
- Examine the roles of familiarity and recollection in the illusion.
- Test predictions of the fluency heuristic.
Main Methods:
- Employed the remember-know procedure across three experiments.
- Utilized a novel independent-scales methodology.
- Manipulated prime display duration for briefly presented words.
Main Results:
- The illusion of memory was associated with both familiarity and recollection.
- Contrary to the fluency heuristic, effects extended beyond familiarity.
- Prime duration manipulations reliably induced false recollection reports.
Conclusions:
- The findings challenge the fluency heuristic's scope.
- Illusory recollection plays a significant role in this memory phenomenon.
- Results inform dual-process, fuzzy-trace, and attribution models of recognition memory.