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Involuntary conscious memory and the method of opposition
A Richardson-Klavehn1, J M Gardiner, R I Java
1Department of Psychology, City University, London, UK.
Memory (Hove, England)
|March 1, 1994
Summary
This study differentiates involuntary unconscious memory from involuntary conscious memory using a novel opposition method. Semantic encoding led to more conscious awareness, while graphemic encoding showed more unconscious memory effects.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Memory Research
Background:
- Priming effects in memory research can stem from both conscious and unconscious processes.
- Distinguishing between involuntary conscious memory and involuntary unconscious memory is crucial for understanding memory retrieval.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a method to isolate and measure involuntary unconscious memory.
- To investigate the differential impact of encoding tasks (graphemic vs. semantic) on conscious and unconscious memory.
Main Methods:
- Adapted the opposition method to create a stem-completion task measuring involuntary unconscious memory.
- Compared performance on a standard indirect test, an opposition test, and a direct test.
- Manipulated encoding conditions (graphemic vs. semantic processing).
Main Results:
- The opposition method revealed a facilitation effect for graphemically encoded items and an inhibition effect for semantically encoded items.
- Standard indirect and direct tests showed different patterns, with semantic encoding yielding greater priming and recall, respectively.
- Semantic encoding was associated with greater involuntary conscious memory compared to graphemic encoding.
Conclusions:
- The opposition method effectively quantifies relative levels of involuntary conscious and unconscious memory.
- Encoding depth influences the balance between conscious and unconscious memory contributions to priming.
- Differentiating memory awareness is key to understanding retrieval processes.