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How the mind shapes action: Offline contexts modulate involuntary episodic retrieval
Christian Frings1, Iring Koch2, Birte Moeller3
1Institute of Psychology, University of Trier, Campus I, Trier, Germany. chfrings@uni-trier.de.
Attention, Perception & Psychophysics
|August 25, 2017
Summary
Changes in the offline context, like selection criteria, can weaken involuntary retrieval of past stimulus-response episodes. This finding impacts theories of memory and action control.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Involuntary retrieval of past stimulus-response episodes is key to theories of priming, episodic binding, and action control.
- Previous research often assumes involuntary retrieval is automatic when stimuli repeat.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if changes in the offline context can weaken involuntary retrieval.
- To determine the role of cue modality and target modality in this process.
Main Methods:
- Participants performed a task across four conditions varying in cue and target modality.
- The offline context was manipulated by changing the target selection criterion.
Main Results:
- Involuntary retrieval was diminished when participants altered the target selection criterion.
- Changes in the offline context, specifically cue or selection criterion, effectively weakened retrieval.
Conclusions:
- Involuntary retrieval is not purely automatic and can be modulated by offline contextual changes.
- Understanding these contextual influences is crucial for theories of memory and action control.
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