Recollection-Based Retrieval Is Influenced by Contextual Variation at Encoding but Not at Retrieval

Abstract

In this article, we investigated the effects of variations at encoding and retrieval on recollection. We argue that recollection is more likely to be affected by the processing that information undergoes at encoding than at retrieval. To date, manipulations shown to affect recollection were typically carried out at encoding. Therefore, an open question is whether these same manipulations would also affect recollection when carried out at retrieval, or whether there is an inherent connection between their effects on recollection and the encoding stage. We therefore manipulated, at either encoding or retrieval, fluency of processing (Experiment 1)—typically found not to affect recollection—and the amount of attentional resources available for processing (Experiments 2 and 3)—typically reported to affect recollection. We found that regardless of the type of manipulation, recollection was affected more by manipulations carried out at encoding and was essentially unaffected when these manipulations were carried out at retrieval. These findings suggest an inherent dependency between recollection-based retrieval and the encoding stage. It seems that because recollection is a contextual-based retrieval process, it is determined by the processing information undergoes at encoding—at the time when context is bound with the items—but not at retrieval—when context is only recovered.

Contextual Similarity Between Successive Targets Modulates Inhibition of Return in the Target-Target Paradigm

“…First, the role of time course in context-dependent memory retrieval was evaluated by analyzing the vincentized cumulative RT distribution (Ratcliff, 1979) in the present study, rather than manipulating the time course. In a future study, the impact of time course can be further investigated by experimentally manipulating the response deadline (see Rosenstreich and Goshen-Gottstein, 2015, for a detailed discussion) and examining the contextual similarity effect in the fast vs. slow conditions. Second, recent studies suggest that attention may select the stimuli in a periodic manner (e.g., VanRullen et al, 2007;Landau and Fries, 2012), such as switching between the cue and target in a rhythmic manner (e.g., Chen et al, 2017).…”

The Relationship Between Mindfulness, Cognitive Intrusions, and Recollection: An ERP Study

“…Recollection is not always successful because it requires intentional and conscious processing of limited information-cognitive resources. In line with this claim, several studies found that recollection is strongly related both to attentional resources (e.g., Knott & Dewhurst, 2007;Rosenstreich & Goshen-Gottstein, 2015) and to working memory capacity (WMC; e.g., Elward, Evans, & Wilding, 2013). It seems reasonable to expect that factors enhancing the availability of attentional resources and WMC will also improve retrieving information from episodic memory.…”

The Effect of Learning in a Virtual Environment on Explicit and Implicit Memory by Applying a Process Dissociation Procedure

“…The topic of conscious or controlled processes and unconscious or automatic process of memory has been widely debated in the literature over the past decades (Butler & Berry, 2001;Gruppuso, Lindsay, & Kelley, 1997;Jacoby, 1991;Koen & Yonelinas, 2016;Roediger, 1990;Rosenstreich & Goshen-Gottstein, 2015;Timmermans & Cleeremans, 2015;Toth & Parks, 2006;Yonelinas, 2002). Implicit and explicit memory corresponds to the level of consciousness LEARNING IN A VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT 9 or awareness shown by a subject in recall and recognition tasks.…”