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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 22, 2025

The Spatial Memory Game: Testing the Relationship Between Spatial Language, Object Knowledge, and Spatial Cognition

The Spatial Memory Game: Testing the Relationship Between Spatial Language, Object Knowledge, and Spatial Cognition

Published on: February 19, 2018

Option similarity modulates the link between choice and memory.

Azara Lalla¹, Rose Chaykin¹, Signy Sheldon²

¹Department of Psychology, McGill University, 2001 McGill Avenue, Montreal, QC, H3A 1G1, Canada.

Memory & Cognition

|July 24, 2023

Summary

Choosing between similar items enhances memory for both selected and unselected options. This occurs because similarity encourages a comparison strategy, improving how we encode and recall our decisions.

Keywords:

Choice Decision-making Declarative memory Episodic memory Relational processing

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A Psychophysics Paradigm for the Collection and Analysis of Similarity Judgments

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Area of Science:

Cognitive Psychology
Decision Science
Memory Studies

Background:

Everyday choices vary in similarity, from selecting breakfast foods to purchasing items.
Understanding how option similarity influences memory for choices is crucial for cognitive research.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the impact of choice option similarity on memory for chosen and unchosen items.
To explore the role of comparison-based strategies in memory encoding during decision-making.

Main Methods:

Experiment 1: Assessed strategy use (comparison vs. non-comparison) when choosing between similar and dissimilar options.
Experiment 2: Tested memory recall for chosen and unchosen options after participants made choices between similar or dissimilar pairs.
Experiment 3: Examined the interplay between strategy use, option similarity, and memory recall.

Main Results:

Participants employed comparison-based strategies more frequently when faced with similar options.
Memory for both chosen and unchosen options was significantly better following choices between similar items compared to dissimilar ones.
The positive effect of option similarity on memory was more pronounced for unchosen options, particularly when controlling for strategy use.

Conclusions:

Option similarity influences mnemonic processes during choice, affecting what is encoded and remembered.
Comparison-based strategies, evoked by similar options, enhance memory recall for decision outcomes.
The findings highlight the intricate relationship between decision context, cognitive strategy, and memory performance.