Investigation into the memory processes that underlie judgments of recency

Margrove, Kerrie 2009. Investigation into the memory processes that underlie judgments of recency. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University.

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Abstract

Judgements of recency (JORs) are decisions about how long ago a repeated item was initially presented. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were acquired in three experiments, alongside behavioural measures, in order to determine the number and nature of memory processes contributing to JORs. In a series of continuous verbal memory tasks (adapted from Yntema & Trask, 1963), participants were presented with a long list of words and for each item participants were required to make an old/new recognition judgement, followed by a numerical JOR. The repetition intervals and JOR response options varied across experiments from between 5 to 35 intervening words. The mid-frontal old/new effect and the left parietal old/new effect were two ERP modulations which varied in a strength-based manner across time and JOR. These bore resemblances to effects reported in previous studies where they were associated with familiarity and recollection memory processes respectively. Late frontal ERP activity was also identified in the experiments and this is discussed in relation to previous theory. A series of behavioural experiments was employed in addition to the ERP studies, which also involved continuous memory tasks. These studies all had 6 different repetition lags and JOR response options which were between 5 and 30 with increments of 5 (adapted from Hintzman, 2003). This research was conducted in order to address further questions about how recollection and familiarity might support JORs under different circumstances. Additional support for the notion that memory processes underpin JORs in a strength-based manner was identified in this behavioural series. The findings in this thesis therefore suggest that JORs are based in part on an assessment of memory strength, and that two memory processes are likely to support memory for recency under some circumstances.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Psychology
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
ISBN:	9781303214547
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	30 March 2016
Last Modified:	19 Mar 2016 23:31
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/54838

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