Directed Forgetting and the Production Effect

Abstract

The item-based directed-forgetting effect is explained as a difference in how strongly people encode remember-cued over forget-cued targets. In contrast, the production effect is typically explained as a difference in the distinctiveness of the memory of produced over unproduced targets. The procedural alignment of the two effects – directing participants to remember or forget, produce or not – coupled with their different theoretical explanations (i.e., strength vs. distinctiveness) presents an opportunity to investigate common versus differential effects of elaborative encoding. This study aims to bridge the gap between these two well-established phenomena by comparing the differences in directed forgetting and the production effect in the context of recognition. Mixed- and pure-list designs were utilized to provide an index of each of these mechanisms in both procedures. Along with a standard production effect and directed forgetting effect in the mixed-list conditions, we found evidence for strength primarily driving results in both procedures. Results are explained using a global matching model of recognition memory, MINERVA 2, by assuming varying levels of encoding strength in relation to task demands. Critically, we obtain the best fit using a strength mechanism over a combined strength and distinctiveness mechanism for our data.