An exploration of the oscillatory correlates of recollection and familiarity and their domain-generality over verbal and nonverbal study materials
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2017-08-01
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en
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Abstract
Episodic recognition memory, according to the dual-process model by Yonelinas (2002), depends on two independent processes: recollection and familiarity. Two studies found higher theta (4 - 8 Hz) activity during recollection compared to familiarity, using a source memory paradigm. The first aim of this study is to replicate this finding within a paradigm based on confidence ratings. The second aim is to probe the domain-generality of the oscillatory correlates of recollection and familiarity by using both verbal and nonverbal study materials. Delta (2 - 4 Hz) and theta (4 - 6 Hz) power is recorded during a recognition memory task. Analyses were carried out separately for the encoding and retrieval phases, and for the verbal and nonverbal conditions. To verify the effectiveness of the general paradigm, the same analyses were applied to high confident hits and misses, rather than recollection and familiarity. No oscillatory correlates of recollection and familiarity were found. One possible explanation is that the operationalization on the basis of confidence ratings results in a less process-pure measurement than the source memory paradigm used in earlier research. Given that no tests for material-specific hemispheric lateralization could be performed, no inferences can be made about the domain-generality of recognition processes. Interestingly, we found barely any significant effects in the nonverbal condition. One possible explanation is that there are fundamental differences in how verbal and nonverbal materials are processed.
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Faculteit der Sociale Wetenschappen