title: Assigned value improves memory of proper names.
abstract: Names are more difficult to remember than other personal information such as occupations. The current research examined the influence of assigned point value on memory and metamemory judgements for names and occupations to determine whether incentive can improve recall of proper names. In Experiment 1 participants studied face-name and face-occupation pairs assigned 1 or 10 points, made judgements of learning, and were given a cued recall test. High-value names were recalled more often than low-value names. However, recall of occupations was not influenced by value. In Experiment 2 meaningless nonwords were used for both names and occupations. The name difficulty disappeared, and value influenced recall of both names and occupations. Thus value similarly influenced names and occupations when meaningfulness was held constant. In Experiment 3 participants were required to use overt rote rehearsal for all items. Value did not boost recall of high-value names, suggesting that differential processing could not be implemented to improve memory. Thus incentives may improve memory for proper names by motivating people to engage in selective rehearsal and effortful elaborative processing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1043, USA. sfestini@umich.edu
authors.forename: Sara B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Festini
authors.forename: Alan A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Hartley
authors.forename: Sarah K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Tauber
authors.forename: Matthew G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Rhodes
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005145:Face; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology; D009275:Names; D009790:Occupations; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult