title: Semantic and perceptual effects on recognition memory: evidence from ERP.
abstract: The present experiments examined how semantic vs. perceptual encoding and perceptual match affect the processes involved in recognition memory. Experiment 1 examined the effects of encoding task and perceptual match between study and test fonts on recognition discrimination for words. Font fan was used to determine the effect of distinctiveness on perceptual match. The semantic encoding task and perceptual match for distinctive items led to better recognition memory. Event-related brain potentials (ERPs) recorded from the human scalp during recognition memory experiments have revealed differences between old (studied) and new (not studied) items that are thought to reflect the activity of memory-related brain processes. In Experiment 2, the semantic encoding task and perceptual match for distinctive words led to better recognition memory by acting on both familiarity and recollection processes, as purportedly indexed by the FN400 and parietal old/new effects. Combined these results suggest that the semantic encoding task and perceptual match for distinctive items aid recognition memory by acting on both familiarity and recollection processes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado at Boulder, Muenzinger D244, 345 UCB Boulder, CO 80309, USA. nyhus@colorado.edu
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nyhus
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Curran
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000502:physiology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology; D010465:Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*; D012660:Semantics; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult