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Comparing semantic-to-autobiographical memory priming to reminiscence priming on an involuntary memory task
1Eastern Illinois University, United States.
Consciousness and Cognition
|February 5, 2026
Summary
Both reminiscence priming and semantic-to-autobiographical priming equally trigger involuntary autobiographical memories. This suggests covert memory activations can be as effective as overt ones in everyday life.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Memory Research
Background:
- Reminiscence priming (past recall) and semantic-to-autobiographical priming (general processing) activate autobiographical memories.
- These activations can be overt (reminiscence) or covert (semantic-to-autobiographical).
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effectiveness of overt versus covert autobiographical memory priming on involuntary memory production.
- To test the hypothesis that both priming methods yield equivalent involuntary memory outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Participants underwent either reminiscence priming (recalling past events) or semantic-to-autobiographical priming (rating word familiarity).
- Following priming, participants performed a vigilance task, reporting spontaneous thoughts or memories.
- Involuntary memory production was measured during the vigilance task.
Main Results:
- Both the autobiographical and semantic groups produced equivalent levels of primed involuntary memories.
- The vigilance task demonstrated comparable involuntary memory generation for both priming conditions.
Conclusions:
- Overt and covert autobiographical memory priming phenomena are equally likely to induce involuntary memories in daily life.
- Covert memory activations can be as potent as overt activations in triggering spontaneous recall.
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