57 research outputs found
Evaluating the evidence for nonconscious processes in producing false memories:Reply to Gallo and Seamon
In response to the failure of Zeelenberg, Plomp, and Raaijmakers (2003) to replicate the results of Seamon, Luo, and Gallo (1998) regarding their purported finding of a reliable false memory effect in the absence of memory for the list items, Gallo and Seamon (2004) report a new experiment that they claim shows that conscious activation of a related lure during study is not necessary for its subsequent recognition. We critically evaluate their conclusion and argue that the evidence clearly shows that false recognition is critically dependent on the conscious recollection of one or more of the list items. Thus, this as well as the previous experiments show no evidence for nonconscious processes in producing false memories
False memories and lexical decision: even twelve primes do not cause long-term semantic priming
Semantic priming effects are usually obtained only if the prime is
presented shortly before the target stimulus. Recent evidence obtained
with the so-called false memory paradigm suggests, however, that in both
explicit and implicit memory tasks semantic relations between words can
result in long-lasting effects when multiple 'primes' are presented. The
aim of the present study was to investigate whether these effects would
generalize to lexical decision. In four experiments we showed that even
as many as twelve primes do not cause long-term semantic priming. In all
experiments, however, a repetition priming effect was obtained. The
present results are consistent with a number of other results showing
that semantic information plays a minimal role in long-term priming in
visual word recognition
Evidence for long-term cross-language repetition priming in conceptual implicit memory tasks
Previous studies have failed to find evidence for long-term
cross-language repetition priming (e.g., presentation of the English
word frog does not facilitate responding to its Dutch translation
equivalent kikker on a later presentation). The present study tested the
hypothesis that failure to find cross-language repetition priming in
previous studies was due to the use of tasks that rely primarily on
lexical or orthographic processing of the stimuli instead of conceptual
processing. Consistent with this hypothesis we obtained reliable
cross-language repetition priming when conceptual implicit memory tasks
were used. The present results support theories of bilingual memory that
assume shared conceptual representations for translation equivalents
Unconstraining theories of embodied cognition
The approach/avoidance effect refers to the finding that valenced stimuli trigger approach and avoidance actions. Markman and Brendl (2005) argued that this effect is not a truly embodied phenomenon, but depends on participants’ symbolic representation of the self. In their study, participants moved valenced words toward or away from their own name on the computer screen. This would induce participants to form a ‘disembodied’ selfrepresentation at the location of their name, outside of the body. Approach/avoidance effects occurred with respect to the participant’s name, rather than with respect to the body. In three experiments, we demonstrate that similar effects are found when the name is replaced by a positive word, a negative word or even when no word is resented at all. This suggests that the ‘disembodied self’ explanation of Markman and Brendl is incorrect, and that their findings do not necessarily constrain embodied theories of cognition
Can false memories be created through nonconscious processes?
Presentation times of study words presented in the Deese/Roediger and McDermott (DRM) paradigm varied from 20 ms to 2000 ms per word in an attempt to replicate the false memory effect following extremely short presentations reported by J.G. Seamon, C.R. Luo and D.A. Gallo (1998). Both in a within-subjects design (Experiment 1) and in a between-subjects design (Experiment 2) subjects showed memory for studied words as well as a false memory effect for related critical lures in the 2000-ms condition. However, in the
Modality Switching in a Property Verification Task: An ERP Study of What Happens When Candles Flicker after High Heels Click
The perceptual modalities associated with property words, such as flicker or click, have previously been demonstrated to affect subsequent property verification judgments (Pecher et al., 2003). Known as the conceptual modality switch effect, this finding supports the claim that brain systems for perception and action help subserve the representation of concepts. The present study addressed the cognitive and neural substrate of this effect by recording event-related potentials (ERPs) as participants performed a property verification task with visual or auditory properties in key trials. We found that for visual property verifications, modality switching was associated with an increased amplitude N400. For auditory verifications, switching led to a larger late positive complex. Observed ERP effects of modality switching suggest property words access perceptual brain systems. Moreover, the timing and pattern of the effects suggest perceptual systems impact the decision-making stage in the verification of auditory properties, and the semantic stage in the verification of visual properties
Does pizza prime coin? Perceptual priming in lexical decision and pronunciation.
In 6 experiments the authors investigated priming for perceptually
related word pairs (i.e., words that refer to objects with the same
shape such as pizza-coin), trying to replicate earlier findings by R.
Schreuder et al (see record 1985-06198-001) while avoiding some of the
methodological problems that were present in that study. University
students participated in the experiments. Under standard conditions no
perceptual priming was obtained. However, in all experiments priming for
associated pairs was found. Only after activation tasks that focused on
perceptual features was priming for perceptually related word pairs
found in pronunciation. Perceptual priming was also obtained in lexical
decision after activation tasks, but only when strong associates were
not presented in the experiment. The results show that priming for
perceptually related word pairs is not a general finding
Alignment effects in beer mugs: Automatic action activation or response competition?
Responses to objects with a graspable handle are faster when the response hand and handle orientation are aligned (e.g., a key press with the right hand is required and the object handle is oriented to the right) than when they are not aligned. This effect could be explained by automatic activation of specific motor programs when an object is viewed. Alternatively, the effect could be explained by competition at the response level. Participants performed a reach-and-grasp or reach-and-button-press action with their left or right hand in response to the color of a beer mug. The alignment effect did not vary as a function of the type of action. In addition, the alignment effect disappeared in a go/no-go version of the task. The same results were obtained when participants made upright/inverted decisions, so that object shape was task-relevant. Our results indicate that alignment effects are not due to automatic motor activation of the left or right limb
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