Priming in implicit memory tasks: prior study causes enhanced discriminability, not only bias.

Full Abstract

R. Ratcliff and G. McKoon (1995, 1996, 1997; R. Ratcliff, D. Allbritton, & G. McKoon, 1997) have argued that repetition priming effects are solely due to bias. They showed that prior study of the target resulted in a benefit in a later implicit memory task. However, prior study of a stimulus similar to the target resulted in a cost. The present study, using a 2-alternative forced-choice procedure, investigated the effect of prior study in an unbiased condition:
Both alternatives were studied prior to their presentation in an implicit memory task. Contrary to a pure bias interpretation of priming, consistent evidence was obtained in 3 implicit memory tasks (word fragment completion, auditory word identification, and picture identification) that performance was better when both alternatives were studied than when neither alternative was studied. These results show that prior study results in enhanced discriminability, not only bias.

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Author information

Author/s: Zeelenberg, René (R); Wagenmakers, Eric-Jan M (EJ); Raaijmakers, Jeroen G W (JG);

Affiliation: Department of Psychonomics, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. rzeelenb@indiana.edu

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Clinical Trial; Journal Article; Randomized Controlled Trial; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Journal of experimental psychology. General (J Exp Psychol Gen), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-Mar; vol 131 (issue 1) : pp 38-47

Dates: Created 2002/03/19; Completed 2002/09/04; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 11902152, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)

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