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Updated: Jun 2, 2026
10:38
A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions
Published on: July 16, 2015
Generation disrupts memory for intrinsic context but not extrinsic context.
1Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. nmulligan@unc.edu
Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology (2006)
|April 19, 2011
Summary
Generating items improves memory but harms recall of intrinsic context details. However, extrinsic context memory is not harmed and may even be enhanced by generation.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Memory Research
- Human Cognition
Background:
- Generation typically enhances item memory, but its effect on context memory is debated.
- Previous research suggests generation may disrupt or enhance memory for contextual details.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of generation on memory for intrinsic contextual details.
- To determine if generation affects memory for extrinsic contextual details.
Main Methods:
- Five experiments examined the effect of generation on memory for intrinsic context (e.g., print color, font).
- A sixth experiment assessed the effect of a visual generation task on extrinsic context memory (e.g., location).
Main Results:
- Generation enhanced item memory but significantly disrupted memory for intrinsic context.
- Memory for extrinsic context was not disrupted and was enhanced by a visual generation task.
- The negative effect on intrinsic context memory was robust across various generation methods and intrinsic details.
Conclusions:
- Generation impairs memory for intrinsic contextual details, such as perceptual attributes.
- Generation does not impair, and may enhance, memory for extrinsic contextual details like location.
- These findings clarify the complex relationship between generation, item memory, and context memory.
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