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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 30, 2026

The Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) Task: A Simple Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate False Memories in the Laboratory

The Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) Task: A Simple Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate False Memories in the Laboratory

Published on: January 31, 2017

Retrieval-induced forgetting in recognition is absent under time pressure.

Michael F Verde¹, Timothy J Perfect

¹School of Psychology, University of Plymouth, Plymouth PL4 8AA, England. michael.verde@plymouth.ac.uk

Psychonomic Bulletin & Review

|August 4, 2011

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Retrieval-induced forgetting (RIF) specifically impacts recollection, not familiarity. This memory effect was absent when participants responded quickly, suggesting recollection is key to RIF.

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Published on: June 14, 2019

Area of Science:

Cognitive Psychology
Neuroscience
Memory Research

Background:

Recognition memory relies on both familiarity and recollection.
Retrieval-induced forgetting (RIF) is a phenomenon where recalling some items hinders recall of others.
The precise mechanisms and locus of RIF within memory processes are debated.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of recollection versus familiarity in retrieval-induced forgetting (RIF).
To determine if RIF specifically targets the recollection process in recognition memory.

Main Methods:

Participants performed recognition tests under varying response deadlines.
A self-paced condition allowed for full use of memory processes.
A speeded condition limited the influence of recollection, favoring familiarity.

Main Results:

The standard RIF effect was observed in the self-paced recognition test.
The RIF effect was absent in the speeded recognition test.
This dissociation suggests RIF is dependent on the availability of recollection.

Conclusions:

Retrieval-induced forgetting (RIF) appears to specifically impair the recollection process.
Findings support a context-specific view of retrieval inhibition in memory.
Memory retrieval dynamics significantly influence forgetting patterns.