Assessing the Relationship Between Item Recognition and Source Memory Using Multivariate Signal Detection Theory

This paper develops a bivariate strength model that is able to simultaneously account for source memory and recognition memory performance. The model is grounded in the source monitoring framework, which suggests that the strength of a test probe depends upon what aspects of a memory representation are queried. In four experiments, the fit of the model to empirical data is assessed with respect to the current benchmark in the field, Yonelinas's (1994, 1999) dual-process model. In addition, the properties of the model are examined to better inform our understanding of the relationship between recognition and source memory. In all conditions, the bivariate strength model outperformed the dual-process model. The parameters from those fits suggest that the effects of encoding are not global: there are factors that selectively improve recognition performance and source memory performance (Experiments 1 and 2). Experiment 3 further suggested recognition memory may benefit primarily from the initial presentation of an item and, consistent with the one-shot hypothesis, this benefit is not enhanced by increasing study time. Experiment 4 found that the effects of forgetting do appear to be global: performance on recognition and source memory test decreased at proportional rates with time. Overall, it is demonstrated that a continuous strength model is a viable candidate to describe performance on different memory tasks simultaneously, and that it provides a unique means of gathering information about the underlying representations.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2015

Author dc:creator

• Diaz, Michael Lazaro

Contributors dc:contributor

• Benjamin, Aaron S.

• Psychology, Cognitive

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

(MiAaPQ)AAI3337748

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/82160