Biomedical subjects

C C Chandler

Publications and source records attributed to C C Chandler.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1998

Retrieval processes that produce interference in modified forced-choice recognition tests.

Recognition can suffer if the retrieval cues activate more than one trace (e.g., for Flower A and Flower A'). We found evidence for two retrieval processes by examining interference effects in forced-choice tests (e.g., "Did you see Flower A or Flower A"?). Experiment 1 provided evidence of a problem in discriminating between temporally and contextually similar traces that were formed in the study phase. A competitor (Flower A') interfered more if it was shown in the study phase rather than in the test phase. Experiments 2 and 3 found evidence for a blocking process in recognizing pairs of words (child-apple). A competitor interfered more if it was recent, shown at test rather than at study. This pattern occurred regardless of whether the competitor was similar to the target (child-orange) or dissimilar to it (child-truck). The importance of a particular retrieval process may depend on an item's representation as well as on the retrieval cues.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Item-specific interference caused by cue-dependent forgetting.

Memory for A-B word pairs (e.g., child-apple) was tested by a cued recall test (e.g., child-app__). Showing an A-C "relative" (e.g., child-bicycle) reduced recall, especially if it was shown recently and was highly accessible (Experiments 1 and 2). In Experiment 3, a relative facilitated recall if it was semantically similar to the target (A-B': child-cookies) but interfered if it was semantically dissimilar (A-C: child-fever). The best explanation for these results is that the relative primed features that affected the functional retrieval cue, and that interference occurred if the cue did not match the trace for the target (Martin, 1972). In other words, the interference effects are an example of cue-dependent forgetting. Neither blocking nor a discrimination process can account for these findings, although some evidence for a discrimination process has been found with other materials.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Studying related pictures can reduce accuracy, but increase confidence, in a modified recognition test.

In 14 experiments, a dissociation occurred between subjects' accuracy on a forced-choice recognition test and their confidence in their choice. Nature pictures (e.g., Lake A) were shown. Later, the subjects were asked to choose the picture that they remembered, given the target (Lake A) and a novel picture (Lake C) as alternatives, and rated their confidence in their choice. When the subjects also studied a related picture (Lake B), their accuracy often decreased while their confidence increased. The dissociation cannot be explained by signal detection theories of recognition, which assume that strength determines both accuracy in a forced-choice test and confidence. Instead, familiarity with general themes may give people the illusion that they are accurately remembering details.

Adult↗