The interactive effects of surprise and plausibility on memory

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Metacognition
• Memory Research

Background:

• Surprising information is generally recalled better than unsurprising information.
• The effect of surprise on memory may be moderated by the perceived plausibility of the information.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between surprise, plausibility, and memory recall for numerical statements.
• To examine how metacognitive judgments influence the memory-enhancing effects of surprise.
• To assess the long-term integration of surprising and plausible information into knowledge representations.

Main Methods:

• Participants estimated numerical facts, received feedback, and rated their surprise and plausibility.
• Memory recall was tested on Day 1, and knowledge integration was assessed via new estimations on Day 2.
• A U-shaped relationship between surprise and recall was observed for plausible information.

Main Results:

• A U-shaped relationship between surprise and recall was found for plausible items on Day 1.
• Surprise enhanced recall only for plausible numerical statements.
• Unsurprising and plausible items were better integrated into knowledge representations than surprising or implausible items.

Conclusions:

• Surprise enhances memory, but this effect is contingent on the plausibility of the information.
• Metacognitive judgments, such as plausibility, play a crucial role in modulating surprise-based memory enhancement.
• Enhanced recall does not guarantee complete integration of information into long-term knowledge.