Abstract
The majority of computationally specified models of recognition memory have been based on a single-process interpretation, claiming that familiarity is the only influence on recognition. There is increasing evidence that recognition is, in fact, based on two processes: recollection and familiarity. This article reviews the current state of the evidence for dual-process models, including the usefulness of the remember/know paradigm, and interprets the relevant results in terms of the source of activation confusion (SAC) model of memory. We argue that the evidence from each of the areas we discuss, when combined, presents a strong case that inclusion of a recollection process is necessary. Given this conclusion, we also argue that the dual-process claim that the recollection process is always available is, in fact, more parsimonious than the single-process claim that the recollection process is used only in certain paradigms. The value of a well-specified process model such as the SAC model is discussed with regard to other types of dual-process models.
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This work was supported by Grant 2-R01-MH52808 from the National Institute of Mental Health. R.A.D. was supported by an NSF graduate fellowship and NIMH Training Grant 5 T32 MH019983. Partial support was provided by the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh.
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Diana, R.A., Reder, L.M., Arndt, J. et al. Models of recognition: A review of arguments in favor of a dual-process account. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review 13, 1–21 (2006). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03193807
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03193807