Abstract
This experiment examines how timing impacts source memory. Previous studies have found that preverbal infants may remember events, but cannot retroactively apply language to describe the event (Simcock and Hayne, 2002). Previous experiments tested individuals’ source memory of symbols and animals that they learned the names of either before or after they encountered them. Individuals better recognized symbols and animals they had learned the names of before they encountered them rather than after, leading us to believe that timing of learning affects source memory recognition (Collins et al., 2011). However, poor performance on the stimuli learned after they were encountered could be due to memory interference effects. Experiment 1a consisted of a learning phase, followed by an exposure phase. After this exposure phase, a 30-minute distractor task was implemented, followed by a second learning phase and a memory test. In Experiment 1b, the procedure was the same as 1a, except the distractor task was between the first learning phase and the exposure phase. If memory for stimuli learned after exposure is affected by memory interference, a distractor task between the exposure phase and the second learning phase should help prevent source interference between the learning phase and exposure phase. Thus, it is predicted that a time lapse between the first learning phase and exposure should have no effect on memory interference, but a distractor between the exposure and the second learning phase should decrease the effects of interference on memory.
Faculty Sponsors
Dr. W. Matthew Collins, Dr. Leanne Boucher
Project Type
Event
Location
Alvin Sherman Library
Start Date
4-4-2014 1:00 PM
End Date
4-4-2014 5:30 PM
Source Memory Recognition
Alvin Sherman Library
This experiment examines how timing impacts source memory. Previous studies have found that preverbal infants may remember events, but cannot retroactively apply language to describe the event (Simcock and Hayne, 2002). Previous experiments tested individuals’ source memory of symbols and animals that they learned the names of either before or after they encountered them. Individuals better recognized symbols and animals they had learned the names of before they encountered them rather than after, leading us to believe that timing of learning affects source memory recognition (Collins et al., 2011). However, poor performance on the stimuli learned after they were encountered could be due to memory interference effects. Experiment 1a consisted of a learning phase, followed by an exposure phase. After this exposure phase, a 30-minute distractor task was implemented, followed by a second learning phase and a memory test. In Experiment 1b, the procedure was the same as 1a, except the distractor task was between the first learning phase and the exposure phase. If memory for stimuli learned after exposure is affected by memory interference, a distractor task between the exposure phase and the second learning phase should help prevent source interference between the learning phase and exposure phase. Thus, it is predicted that a time lapse between the first learning phase and exposure should have no effect on memory interference, but a distractor between the exposure and the second learning phase should decrease the effects of interference on memory.
