Imagery encoding effects on memory in the DRM paradigm: A test of competing predictions

Abstract

In three experiments the effects of imagery encoding and test format on false memory rates in the Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm were examined. After generating images of individual items (Experiment 1) or integrated subsets (Experiment 2), all of which were embedded in thematically related lists, participants were surprised by a recognition memory test or one of three kinds of source tests. As predicted by a distinctive encoding hypothesis, generating individual images led to better accuracy on presented items, and better monitoring of critical lures, than generating integrated images (Experiments 1 and 2). However, both kinds of imagery encoding led to fewer endorsements of critical lures compared to a non-imagery encoding condition (Experiment 3). Imagery encoding effects were also independent of test format. The implications of these findings for the use of DRM-false memory rates in debates about the use of guided imagery techniques are discussed.

Encoding strategy affects false recall and recognition: Evidence from categorical study material

“…This supports previous findings on imagery encoding (e.g., Foley et al, 2006Foley et al, , 2009Gunter et al, 2007), which assume imagery as a crucial factor in discrimination between studied and non-studied but strongly associated items. Moreover, imagery encoding may be treated as an active task leading to better memory (see Meijer & Van der Lubbe, 2011).…”

“…However, the results of the control groups showed that individual mnemonic strategies may appear, in some conditions, comparably efficient. From a theoretical perspective, the data we report converge with other recent findings demonstrating the facilitative effects of imagery encoding on memory performance (e.g., Foley et al, 2006Foley et al, , 2009 2 The participants in all four studies were native Polish speakers and were undergraduate students in one of the universities in Warsaw, Poland. 3 We provided the recall test after the whole set of lists because our main objective was to test general recall and recognition, not to verify the impact of recall on a later recognition test (Roediger & McDermott, 1995).…”

“…Also in line with the hypothesis and previous studies (Foley et al, 2006(Foley et al, , 2009Gunter et al, 2007), in all experiments the lowest rate of false alarms was obtained in the imagery condition as compared to the word-whispering condition. It is argued that the participants used the distinctiveness heuristic at the time of the retrieval of information (Israel & Schacter, 1997).…”

“…The research described above, as well as that by Foley et al (2006Foley et al ( , 2009 Smith (2002), who used 2 and 4 s for encoding each word in their experiment. Moreover, in the subsequent experiments we used a control group that was given no instruction on how to encode the lists.…”

“…Gunter, Bodner, and Azad (2007) also found that, in general, utilizing imagery reduced false alarms and led to greater accuracy. Foley, Hughes, Librot, and Paysnick (2009) revealed the effects of false memory reduction on images of individual items as well as integrated subsets.…”