Memory strength and the decision process in recognition memory

Abstract

We investigated the role that memory strength plays in the decision process by examining the extent to which strength is used as a cue to dynamically modify recognition criteria. The study list consisted of strong and weak items, with strength a function of study duration or repetition. The recognition test list was divided into two consecutive blocks; strong items appeared in one block, weak items in the other. If the change in item strength across blocks leads to a shift in criterion, the false alarm rate should change accordingly. In four experiments, the false alarm rates did not change across blocks, even when the difference between the strong and the weak items was magnified and marked with semantic cues. However, the strength of the items in the first test block affected the false alarm rate. Thus, strength cues influence initial criterion placement but fail to induce criterion shifts following permanent and even dramatic changes in item strength. These null findings are contrasted with those in a fifth experiment, in which accuracy feedback produced dynamic criterion shifts. Memory & Cognition 2007, 35 (2), 254-262 M. F. Verde, michael.verde@plymouth.ac.uk

Examining recognition criterion rigidity during testing using a biased-feedback technique: Evidence for adaptive criterion learning

“…Additionally, psychophysical studies have proposed learning models in which subjects adjust criteria in response to feedback after errors occur (Dorfman & Biderman, 1971;Kubovy & Healy, 1977;Thomas, 1973). However, despite the prevalence of feedback manipulations in nonmemory domains, the use of feedback information to attempt to influence memory decision criteria is surprisingly rare, and in fact we know of only three reports of such attempts (Estes & Maddox, 1995;Rhodes & Jacoby, 2007;Verde & Rotello, 2007). Verde and Rotello (2007) were able to induce a criterion change by providing subjects with correct feedback on every trial-stopping intermittently and giving subjects feedback during recognition memory judgments would, in and of itself, appreciably affect accuracy or criterion placement.…”

“…However, despite the prevalence of feedback manipulations in nonmemory domains, the use of feedback information to attempt to influence memory decision criteria is surprisingly rare, and in fact we know of only three reports of such attempts (Estes & Maddox, 1995;Rhodes & Jacoby, 2007;Verde & Rotello, 2007). Verde and Rotello (2007) were able to induce a criterion change by providing subjects with correct feedback on every trial-stopping intermittently and giving subjects feedback during recognition memory judgments would, in and of itself, appreciably affect accuracy or criterion placement. The presence or absence of feedback was manipulated within subjects in order to maximize sensitivity.…”

“…On the basis of the nature of the feedback provided in Verde and Rotello (2007) and the findings of Rhodes and Jacoby (2007), it is likely that the feedback in these paradigms functioned similarly to an explicit instruction condition clearly warning subjects to strategically favor or avoid certain classifications because of global changes in the strength or probabilities of memory targets. For example, in Verde and Rotello, not only was feedback provided on every trial, but also the test was paused and performance summaries were given for every quartile of the test that showed the total number of correct and incorrect responses for that test segment.…”

“…More recently, Verde and Rotello (2007) presented observers with test lists that seamlessly abutted two blocks, each containing either strongly or weakly encoded targets intermixed with novel lures. If subjects spontaneously adjust the recognition decision criterion, then they should adjust the criterion either upward or downward, depending on the average strength of the probes in the two test Whereas the lax criterion points are shown as dark gray rectangles, the shift toward strict responding is shown by the gray triangles.…”

Response bias in recognition memory as a cognitive trait

“…For example, a growing literature has demonstrated that participants tend not to make appropriate criterion shifts in response to changing classes of items (e.g., strongly vs. weakly encoded) when the shifts must occur within a single test list (Stretch & Wixted, 1998;Verde & Rotello, 2007). Generally, within-list criterion shifts are not observed unless the two item classes are strikingly different (Bruno, Higham, & Perfect, 2009;Singer, 2009;Singer & Wixted, 2006) or corrective feedback is administered (Rhodes & Jacoby, 2007;Verde & Rotello, 2007). Participants' resistance to within-list criterion shifting might be a partial result of inherent bias tendencies that anchor shifting behavior.…”