Recognition Memory for Colored and Blackand- White Scenes in Normal and Color Deficient Observers (Dichromats)

Color deficient (dichromat) and normal observers' recognition memory for colored and black-and-white natural scenes was evaluated through several parameters: the rate of recognition, discrimination (A'), response bias (B"D), response confidence, and the proportion of conscious recollections (Remember responses) among hits. At the encoding phase, 36 images of natural scenes were each presented for 1 sec. Half of the images were shown in color and half in black-and-white. At the recognition phase, these 36 pictures were intermixed with 36 new images. The participants' task was to indicate whether an image had been presented or not at the encoding phase, to rate their level of confidence in his her/his response, and in the case of a positive response, to classify the response as a Remember, a Know or a Guess response. Results indicated that accuracy, response discrimination, response bias and confidence ratings were higher for colored than for black-and-white images; this advantage for colored images was similar in both groups of participants. Rates of Remember responses were not higher for colored images than for black-and-white ones, whatever the group. However, interestingly, Remember responses were significantly more often based on color information for colored than for black-and-white images in normal observers only, not in dichromats

Concept de soi indépendant ou interdépendant et perspective visuelle en mémoire

Two visual perspectives from which memories can be retrieved have been described in the literature (Nigro & Neisser, 1983). Memories from the first person perspective are experienced as if seeing the events again through one’s own eyes whereas third person perspective (or observer perspective) is the one of an external observer watching the scene. Cultural differences in the use of those memory points of view have been evidenced, but what they depend on exactly is still uncertain. One way to characterize culture is through their levels of independent and interdependent self-construals, that is how much people from a given culture define themselves as independent from or dependent on others. The present experiment aimed at examining the impact of independent and interdependent self-construals on memory perspective. In order to do so, the impact of a self-construal priming task on the vantage point used to retrieve a memory was investigated. Participants were either assigned to an independent self-construal priming condition, to an interdependent self-construal priming condition or to a control condition. The visual perspective from which they retrieved a memory for their first day at university was then measured using a Likert scale. Finally, an analytic and holistic letter perception task was used in order to objectivize the priming task’s efficiency. Results showed that participants who underwent an independent self-construal priming tended to retrieve their memory from a more external perspective than participants from the interdependent self-construal priming group. Priming also significantly influenced performance at the letter perception task. These results are consistent with those obtained by Cohen and Gunz (2002). In the present study, the results suggest that participants primed with independence retrieved memories in which they “see” themselves, therefore using a more external point of view at recall. The opposite would have occurred for the participants primed with interdependence, who supposedly retrieved memories in which they see others, thus leading to a more personal perspective in memory. Cohen, D., & Gunz, A. (2002). As seen by the other…: Perspectives on the self in the memories and emotional perceptions of easterners and westerners. Psychological Science, 13, 55-59. Nigro, G., & Neisser, U. (1983). Point of view in personal memories. Cognitive Psychology, 15, 467-482

Mean scores of accuracy (Hits, Hits-FAs), discrimination (<i>A’</i>), bias (<i>B”D</i>), response confidence, proportions of Remember hits, and proportions of Remember responses based on color information as a function of the group of participants and the mode of presentation.

<p>Standard deviations are shown into parentheses.</p><p>* = main effect of the mode of presentation;</p>#<p> = interaction between the group and the mode of presentation.</p