Item strength influences source confidence and alters source memory zROC slopes
Jeffrey J Starns1, John C Ksander1
1Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences.
Journal of Experimental Psychology. Learning, Memory, and Cognition
|September 16, 2015
Summary
Increased study trials create a crossover pattern in source memory, influenced by decision processes rather than solely memory changes. This finding impacts understanding of memory and decision-making in recall tasks.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Memory Research
Background:
- Source memory accuracy is crucial for recalling contextual details of learned information.
- The crossover pattern in source memory receiver operating characteristic (zROC) slopes suggests complex memory or decision processes.
- Distinguishing between memory and decision contributions to source memory performance is an ongoing challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether the crossover pattern in source memory zROC slopes is driven by memory processes or decision processes.
- To differentiate the roles of recollection and familiarity versus response bias in source memory performance.
- To examine how different repetition conditions (no repetition, different-source repetition, same-source repetition) affect source memory and recognition confidence.
Main Methods:
- Participants studied words paired with faces under three conditions: no repetition, different-source repetition, and same-source repetition.
- Receiver operating characteristic (zROC) functions were analyzed for source memory judgments (male/female face).
- Recognition confidence and source confidence were recorded and analyzed, including for incorrectly sourced or unstudied items.
Main Results:
- Both same-source and different-source repetition produced the crossover effect in zROC slopes for the male-female decision.
- The decision process account successfully predicted the observed crossover pattern, suggesting item memory influences source confidence.
- A significant positive correlation was found between recognition confidence and source confidence, even for misattributed or unstudied items.
Conclusions:
- The crossover pattern in source memory zROC slopes appears to be driven by decision processes, specifically how item memory influences confidence in source judgments.
- Increasing item memory can inflate source confidence without necessarily improving actual source memory accuracy.
- These findings highlight the importance of considering decision strategies when interpreting source memory performance.
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