title: Global subjective memorability and the strength-based mirror effect in recognition memory.
abstract: Between-list manipulations of memory strength through repetition commonly generate a mirror effect, with more hits and fewer false alarms for strengthened items. However, this pattern is rarely seen with within-list manipulations of strength. In three experiments, we investigated the conditions under which a within-list mirror effect of strength (items presented once or thrice) is observed. In Experiments 1 and 2, we indirectly manipulated the overall subjective memorability of the studied lists by varying the proportion of nonwords. A within-list mirror effect was observed only in Experiment 2, in which a higher proportion of nonwords was presented in the study list. In Experiment 3, the presentation duration for each item (0.5 vs. 3 sec) was manipulated between groups with the purpose of affecting subjective memorability. A within-list mirror effect was observed only for the short presentation durations. Thus, across three experiments, we found the within-list mirror effect only under conditions of poor overall subjective memorability. We propose that when the overall subjective memorability is low, people switch their response strategy on an item-by-item basis and that this generates the observed mirror effect.
authors.affiliation: University of Southampton, Southampton, England. davbruno@psych.umass.edu
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bruno
authors.forename: Philip A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Higham
authors.forename: Timothy J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Perfect
mesh_terms: D001245:Association Learning; D001288:Attention; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D021641:Recognition, Psychology; D012153:Retention, Psychology; D012660:Semantics; D017603:Signal Detection, Psychological; D014706:Verbal Learning; D014825:Vocabulary
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