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Congruity influences memory and judgments of learning during survival processing
Christopher C Palmore1, Arturo D Garcia, L Paige Bacon
1Department of Psychology, California State University, Long Beach, CA 90840, USA.
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review
|November 22, 2011
Summary
The survival processing effect enhances memory for fitness-relevant information. However, this effect is driven by the congruity between words and processing, not survival relevance itself, influencing judgments of learning.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Evolutionary Psychology
- Memory Research
Background:
- The survival processing effect suggests memory evolved to prioritize fitness-relevant information.
- The underlying mechanisms of this effect and its influence on judgments of learning (JOLs) remain debated.
- Previous research indicates potential confounding factors in demonstrating the survival processing effect.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of congruity in the survival processing effect.
- To determine if individuals adjust their judgments of learning (JOLs) based on survival processing.
- To clarify the relationship between relevance, processing, and memory performance.
Main Methods:
- Three experiments were conducted involving participants rating word relevance to survival and bank robbery scenarios.
- Judgments of learning (JOLs) were assessed in conjunction with recall performance.
- Relevance manipulation was varied between and within lists across experiments to control for confounding variables.
Main Results:
- The survival processing effect was observed when relevance was manipulated between conditions but confounded by higher relevance ratings in the survival condition.
- When relevance was manipulated within lists, the survival processing effect was eliminated.
- Both recall and JOLs were significantly related to the congruity between words and the type of processing, not survival relevance per se.
Conclusions:
- The survival processing effect is primarily driven by the congruity between to-be-learned information and the processing context.
- Judgments of learning (JOLs) are influenced by this congruity, rather than a direct effect of survival relevance.
- These findings underscore the importance of processing-item congruity in memory and metacognitive judgments.
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