Dual processes in recognition: Does a focus on measurement operations provide a sufficient foundation?

Current theoretical thinking about dual processes in recognition relies heavily on the measurement operations embodied within the process dissociation procedure. We critically evaluate the ability of this procedure to support this theoretical enterprise. We show that there are alternative processes that would produce a rough invariance in familiarity (a key prediction of the dual-processing approach) and that the process dissociation procedure does not have the power to differentiate between these alternative possibilities. We also show that attempts to relate parameters estimated by the process dissociation procedure to subjective reports (remember-know judgments) cannot differentiate between alternative dual-processing models and that there are problems with some of the historical evidence and with obtaining converging evidence. Our conclusion is that more specific theories incorporating ideas about representation and process are required.

Évaluation de l’effet de faux souvenirs en vieillissement normal : validation de scores composites des fonctions temporale médiane et frontale et contribution aux hypothèses théoriques

L’avancement en âge est associé à plusieurs modifications cognitives, dont un déclin des capacités à mémoriser et/ou à rappeler les événements vécus personnellement. Il amène parallèlement une augmentation des faux souvenirs, c.-à-d. le rappel d’événements qui ne se sont pas réellement déroulés. Les faux souvenirs peuvent avoir d’importantes répercussions dans la vie quotidienne des personnes âgées et il importe donc de mieux comprendre ce phénomène en vieillissement normal. Des études ont démontré l’importance de la fonction des lobes temporaux médians (FTM)/mémoire et de la fonction des lobes frontaux (FF)/fonctions exécutives dans l’effet de faux souvenirs. Ainsi, la première étude de la thèse visait à valider en français une version adaptée d’une méthode proposée par Glisky, Polster, & Routhieaux (1995), permettant de mesurer ces fonctions cognitives (Chapitre 2). L’analyse factorielle de cette étude démontre que les scores neuropsychologiques associés à la mémoire se regroupent en un facteur, le facteur FTM/mémoire, alors que ceux associés aux fonctions exécutives se regroupent en un deuxième facteur, le facteur FF/fonctions exécutives. Des analyses « bootstrap » effectuées avec 1 000 ré-échantillons démontrent la stabilité des résultats pour la majorité des scores. La deuxième étude de cette thèse visait à éclairer les mécanismes cognitifs (FTM/mémoire et FF/fonctions exécutives) ainsi que théoriques de l’effet de faux souvenirs accru en vieillissement normal (Chapitre 3). La Théorie des Traces Floues (TTF; Brainerd & Reyna, 1990) propose des explications de l’effet de faux souvenirs pour lesquelles la FTM/mémoire semble davantage importante, alors que celles proposées par la Théorie de l’Activation et du Monitorage (TAM; Roediger, Balota, & Watson, 2001) sont davantage reliées à la FF/fonctions exécutives. Les tests neuropsychologiques mesurant la FTM/mémoire ainsi que ceux mesurant la FF/fonctions exécutives ont été administrés à 52 participants âgés (moyenne de 67,81 ans). Basé sur l’étude de validation précédente, un score composite de la FTM/mémoire et un score composite de la FF/fonctions exécutives ont été calculés pour chaque participant. Ces derniers ont d’abord été séparés en deux sous-groupes, un premier au score FTM/mémoire élevé (n = 29, âge moyen de 67,45 ans) et un deuxième au score FTM/mémoire faible (n = 23, âge moyen de 68,26 ans) en s’assurant de contrôler statistiquement plusieurs variables, dont le score de la FF/fonctions exécutives. Enfin, ces participants ont été séparés en deux sous-groupes, un premier au score FF/fonctions exécutives élevé (n = 26, âge moyen 68,08 ans) et un deuxième au score FF/fonctions exécutives faible (n = 25, âge moyen de 67,36 ans), en contrôlant les variables confondantes, dont le score de la FTM/mémoire. Les proportions de vraie et de fausse mémoire (cibles et leurres associatifs) ont été mesurées à l’aide d’un paradigme Deese-Roediger et McDermott (DRM; Deese, 1959; Roediger & McDermott, 1995), avec rappel et reconnaissance jumelée à une procédure « Je me souviens / Je sais » (Tulving, 1985) chez les 52 participants âgés ainsi que chez 22 jeunes (âge moyen de 24,59 ans), apparié pour les années de scolarité. D’abord, afin de tester l’hypothèse de la TTF (Brainerd & Reyna, 1990), ces proportions ont été comparées entre les jeunes adultes et les deux sous-groupes de personnes âgées catégorisées selon le score de la FTM/mémoire. Ensuite, afin de tester l’hypothèse de la TAM (Roediger et al., 2001), ces proportions ont été comparées entre les jeunes adultes et les deux sous-groupes de personnes âgées catégorisées selon le score de la FF/fonctions exécutives. Il s’agit de la première étude qui compare directement ces hypothèses à travers de nombreuses mesures de vraie et de fausse mémoire. Les résultats démontrent que seule la FTM/mémoire modulait l’effet d’âge en vraie mémoire, et de manière quelque peu indirecte, en fausse mémoire et dans la relation entre la vraie et la fausse remémoration. Ensuite, les résultats démontrent que seule la FF/fonctions exécutives jouerait un rôle dans la fausse reconnaissance des leurres associatifs. Par ailleurs, en des effets d’âge sont présents en faux rappel et fausse remémorations de leurres associatifs, entre les jeunes adultes et les personnes âgées au fonctionnement cognitif élevé, peu importe la fonction cognitive étudiée. Ces résultats suggèrent que des facteurs autres que la FTM/mémoire et la FF/fonctions exécutives doivent être identifiés afin d’expliquer la vulnérabilité des personnes âgées aux faux souvenirs. Les résultats de cette thèse sont discutés à la lumière des hypothèses théoriques et cognitives en faux souvenirs (Chapitre 4).

Is there a recognition memory deficit in Parkinson's disease? Evidence from estimates of recollection and familiarity

There is conflicting evidence whether Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with impaired recognition memory and which of its underlying processes, namely recollection and familiarity, is more affected by the disease. The present study explored the contribution of recollection and familiarity to verbal recognition memory performance in 14 nondemented PD patients and a healthy control group with two different methods: (i) the word-frequency mirror effect, and (ii) Remember/Know judgments. Overall, recognition memory of patients was intact. The word-frequency mirror effect was observed both in patients and controls: Hit rates were higher and false alarm rates were lower for low-frequency compared to high-frequency words. However, Remember/Know judgments indicated normal recollection, but impaired familiarity. Our findings suggest that mild to moderate PD patients are selectively impaired at familiarity whereas recollection and overall recognition memory are intact.

What You Get Out of Memory Depends on the Question You Ask

Following study, participants received 2 tests. The 1st was a recognition test; the 2nd was designed to tap recollection. The objective was to examine performance on Test I conditional on Test 2 performance. In Experiment 1, contrary to process dissociation assumptions, exclusion errors better predicted subsequent recollection than did inclusion errors. In Experiments 2 and 3, with alternate questions posed on Test 2, words having high estimates of recollection with one question had high estimates of familiarity with the other question. Results supported the following: (a) the 2-test procedure has considerable potential for elucidating the relationship between recollection and familiarity; (b) there is substantial evidence for dependency between such processes when estimates are obtained using the process dissociation and remember-know procedures; and (c) order of information access appears to depend on the question posed to the memory system.

A theoretical analysis of eyewitness identification: Dual -process theory, signal detection theory and eyewitness confidence

Given the growing number of wrongful convictions involving faulty eyewitness evidence and the strong reliance by jurors on eyewitness testimony, researchers have sought to develop safeguards to decrease erroneous identifications. While decades of eyewitness research have led to numerous recommendations for the collection of eyewitness evidence, less is known regarding the psychological processes that govern identification responses. The purpose of the current research was to expand the theoretical knowledge of eyewitness identification decisions by exploring two separate memory theories: signal detection theory and dual-process theory. This was accomplished by examining both system and estimator variables in the context of a novel lineup recognition paradigm. Both theories were also examined in conjunction with confidence to determine whether it might add significantly to the understanding of eyewitness memory. ^ In two separate experiments, both an encoding and a retrieval-based manipulation were chosen to examine the application of theory to eyewitness identification decisions. Dual-process estimates were measured through the use of remember-know judgments (Gardiner & Richardson-Klavehn, 2000). In Experiment 1, the effects of divided attention and lineup presentation format (simultaneous vs. sequential) were examined. In Experiment 2, perceptual distance and lineup response deadline were examined. Overall, the results indicated that discrimination and remember judgments (recollection) were generally affected by variations in encoding quality and response criterion and know judgments (familiarity) were generally affected by variations in retrieval options. Specifically, as encoding quality improved, discrimination ability and judgments of recollection increased; and as the retrieval task became more difficult there was a shift toward lenient choosing and more reliance on familiarity. ^ The application of signal detection theory and dual-process theory in the current experiments produced predictable results on both system and estimator variables. These theories were also compared to measures of general confidence, calibration, and diagnosticity. The application of the additional confidence measures in conjunction with signal detection theory and dual-process theory gave a more in-depth explanation than either theory alone. Therefore, the general conclusion is that eyewitness identifications can be understood in a more complete manor by applying theory and examining confidence. Future directions and policy implications are discussed. ^

I know what I like: Stability of aesthetic preference in Alzheimer's disease

Two studies explored the stability of art preference in patients with Alzheimer’s disease and age-matched control participants. Preferences for three different styles of paintings, displayed on art postcards, were examined over two sessions. Preference for specific paintings differed among individuals but AD and non-AD groups maintained about the same stability in terms of preference judgments across two weeks, even though the AD patients did not have explicit memory for the paintings. We conclude that aesthetic responses can be preserved in the face of cognitive decline. This should encourage caregivers and family to engage in arts appreciation activities with patients, and reinforces the validity of a preference response as a dependent measure in testing paradigms.

"When we like what we know – A parametric fMRI analysis of beauty and familiarity"

This paper presents a neuroscientific study of aesthetic judgments on written texts. In an fMRI experiment participants read a number of proverbs without explicitly evaluating them. In a post-scan rating they rated each item for familiarity and beauty. These individual ratings were correlated with the functional data to investigate the neural correlates of implicit aesthetic judgments. We identified clusters in which BOLD activity was correlated with individual post-scan beauty ratings. This indicates that some spontaneous aesthetic evaluation takes place during reading, even if not required by the task. Positive correlations were found in the ventral striatum and in medial prefrontal cortex, likely reflecting the rewarding nature of sentences that are aesthetically pleasing. On the contrary, negative correlations were observed in the classic left frontotemporal reading network. Midline structures and bilateral temporo-parietal regions correlated positively with familiarity, suggesting a shift from the task-network towards the default network with increasing familiarity.

Pregnancy In Sickle Cell Disease - Do We Know What To Expect?

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Patient education in glaucoma: what do patients know about glaucoma?

PURPOSE: To evaluate the knowledge glaucoma patients have about their disease and its treatment. METHODS: One hundred and eighty-three patients were interviewed at the Glaucoma Service of Wills Eye Hospital (Philadelphia, USA, Group 1) and 100 at the Glaucoma Service of University of Campinas (Campinas, Brazil, Group 2). An informal, relaxed atmosphere was created by the interviewer before asking a list of 18 open-ended questions. RESULTS: In Group 1, 44% of the 183 patients did not have an acceptable idea about what glaucoma is, 30% did not know the purpose of the medications they were taking, 47% were not aware of what was an average intraocular pressure, and 45% did not understand why visual fields were examined. In Group 2, 54% gave unsatisfactory answers to the question What is glaucoma?, 54% did not know the purpose of the medications they were taking, 80% were not aware of what was an average intraocular pressure, and 94% did not understand why visual fields were examined (p<0.001). Linear regression analysis demonstrated that level of education was positively correlated to knowledge about glaucoma in both groups (r=0.65, p=0.001). CONCLUSION: This study showed that patients' knowledge about glaucoma varies greatly, and that in an urban, American setting, around one third of the patients have minimal understanding, whereas in an urban setting in Brazil around two thirds of patients were lacking basic information about glaucoma. Innovative and effective methods are needed to correct this situation.

(FAB12_1_002) 'Would you know the new, you must search the old': William Lethaby's 'Architecture, Mysticism and Myth' (1891) and the 'Hypnerotomachia Poliphili' (1499)

Published in the final months of 1891, Architecture, Mysticism and Myth was the first architectural treatise written by the late nineteenth-century English architect and theorist William Richard Lethaby (1857-1931).' Documenting the characteristic attributes of the architectural myth of the "temple idea", and its presence amongst architectures of multiple ancient cultures, the text was endowed with a distinctly historical tone. In examining the motives behind myth, which Lethaby defined as the interaction and reaction between the natural universe and the built environment, Lethaby also injected a series of theoretical considerations into the text. It is clear that Lethaby's interest in the temple idea was not limited to its curious, prolific presence in past architectures, hut also embraced a consideration of what lessons the temple idea may contribute to the struggle of the late nineteenth-century English architect to define an "art of the future".