The retrieval practice effect in associative recognition.

Abstract

Recalling an item interferes with recall of related memories. Evidence is presented that retrieval interference occurs in associative recognition as well as recall. In Experiment 1, subjects studied pairs of category exemplars. Retrieval practice followed, during which some pairs appeared in a cued recall test. A final test of associative recognition (with remember-know judgments) found lower accuracy and hit rate for nonpracticed pairs belonging to retrieval-practiced categories. In Experiment 2, subjects studied noun pairs from overlapping sets, with study duration manipulated between subjects. Retrieval practice was manipulated by presenting some members of a set in a previous block during the recognition test. With long study duration, retrieval interference was evident in both recognition and remember judgments. With short study duration, it appeared only in remember judgments. These results support a dual-process account in which retrieval interference is specific to recollection and becomes evident in recognition performance only when recollection is sufficiently dominant.