Abstract
Previous research has suggested that perceptual fluency can contribute to recognition judgments. In this study, we examined whether fluency in recognition is based upon the speed of preceding operations, as suggested by studies of perceptual fluency. Subjects studied items in both lexical decision and naming tasks, and were then tested on two blocks of lexical decision trials with probe recognition trials. Jacoby’s process dissociation procedure was used, and results from this procedure suggested that recognition judgments in the task were based largely upon familiarity. However, the estimated discriminability available from response time distributions was significantly less than the observed recognition discriminability. Simulated memory operating characteristics confirmed this underdetermination of recognition by response times. The results demonstrate, contrary to previous suggestions, that fluency in recognition is not based upon speed.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Buckner, R., Peterson, S. E., Ojemann, J. G., Miezin, F. M., Squire, L. R., &Raichle, M. E. (1995). Functional anatomical studies of explicit and implicit memory retrieval tasks.Journal of Neuroscience,15, 12–29.
Compton, B. J., &Logan, G. D. (1991). The transition from algorithm to retrieval in memory-based theories of automaticity.Memory & Cognition,19, 151–158.
Demb, J. B., Desmond, J. E., Wagner, A. D., Stone, M., Lee, A. T., Glover, G. H., &Gabrieli, J. D. E. (1995). Semantic encoding and retrieval in the left inferior prefrontal cortex: A functional MRI study of task difficulty and process specificity.Journal of Neuroscience,15, 5870–5878.
Domalski, P., Smith, M. E., &Halgren, E. (1991). Cross-modal repetition effects on the N4.Psychological Sciences,2, 173–178.
Feustel, T. C., Shiffrin, R. M., &Salasoo, A. (1983). Episodic and lexical contributions to the repetition effect in word identification.Journal of Experimental Psychology: General,112, 309–346.
Green, D. M., &Swets, J. A. (1965). Signal detection theory and psychophysics. New York: Wiley.
Grice, G. R. (1968). Stimulus intensity and response evocation.Psychological Review,75, 359–373.
Jacoby, L. L. (1991). A process dissociation framework: Separating intentional from automatic uses of memory.Journal of Memory & Language,30, 513–541.
Jacoby, L. L., Kelley, C. M., &Dywan, J. (1989). Memory attributions. In H. L. Roediger III & F. I. M. Craik (Eds.),Varieties of memory and consciousness: Essays in honour of Endel Tulving (pp. 391–422). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Johnston, W. A., Dark, V., &Jacoby, L. L. (1985). Perceptual fluency and recognition judgments.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition,11, 3–11.
Johnston, W. A., Hawley, K. J., &Elliot, J. M. G. (1991). Contributions of perceptual fluency to recognition judgments.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition,17, 210–233.
Kučera, H., &Francis, W. N. (1967).Computational analysis of present-day American English. Providence, RI: Brown University Press.
Lockhart, R., &Murdock, B. B. (1970). Memory and the theory of signal detection.Psychological Bulletin,74, 100–109.
Logan, G. D. (1988). Toward an instance theory of automaticity.Psychological Review,95, 492–527.
Logan, G. D. (1990). Repetition priming and automaticity: Common underlying mechanisms?Cognitive Psychology,22, 1–35.
Logan, G. D. (1992). Shapes of reaction-time distributions and shapes of learning curves: A test of the instance theory of automaticity.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition,18, 883–914.
Luce, R. D. (1986).Response times. New York: Oxford University Press.
Mandler, G. (1980). Recognizing: The judgment of previous occurrence.Psychological Review,87, 252–271.
Ratcliff, R. (1993). Methods for dealing with reaction time outliers.Psychological Bulletin,114, 510–532.
Ratcliff, R., &Murdock, B. B. (1976). Retrieval processes in recognition memory.Psychological Review,83,190–214.
Rugg, M. D. (1990). Event-related brain potentials dissociate repetition effects of high- and low-frequency words.Memory & Cognition,18, 367–379.
Scarborough, D. L., Cortese, C., &Scarborough, H. S. (1977). Frequency and repetition effects in lexical memory.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance,3, 1–17.
Schweickert, R. (1978). A critical path generalization of the additive factor method: Analysis of a Stroop task.Journal of Mathematical Psychology,18, 105–139.
Watkins, M. J., &Gibson, J. M. (1988). On the relationship between perceptual priming and recognition memory.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition,14, 477–483.
Whittlesea, B. W. A. (1993). Illusions of familiarity.Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, & Cognition,19, 1235–1253.
Whittlesea, B. W. A., Jacoby, L. L., &Girard, K. (1990). Illusions of immediate memory: Evidence of an attributional basis for feelings of familiarity and perceptual quality.Journal of Memory & Language,29, 716–732.
Wickelgren, W. A. (1968). Unidimensional strength theory and component analysis of noise in absolute and comparative judgments.Journal of Mathematical Psychology,5, 102–122.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
This research was supported in part by National Science Foundation grant BNS-91-09856 to G.D.L., and by a predoctoral National Research Service Award from NIMH to R.P.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Poldrack, R.A., Logan, G.D. Fluency and response speed in recognition judgments. Memory & Cognition 25, 1–10 (1997). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03197280
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03197280