Examining ERP correlates of recognition memory: Evidence of accurate source recognition without recollection

Abstract

Recollection is typically associated with high recognition confidence and accurate source memory. However, subjects sometimes make accurate source memory judgments even for items that are not confidently recognized, and it is not known whether these responses are based on recollection or some other memory process. In the current study, we measured event related potentials (ERPs) while subjects made item and source memory confidence judgments in order to determine whether recollection supported accurate source recognition responses for items that were not confidently recognized. In line with previous studies, we found that recognition memory was associated with two ERP effects: an early on-setting FN400 effect, and a later parietal old-new effect [Late Positive Component (LPC)], which have been associated with familiarity and recollection, respectively. The FN400 increased gradually with item recognition confidence, whereas the LPC was only observed for highly confident recognition responses. The LPC was also related to source accuracy, but only for items that had received a high confidence item recognition response; accurate source judgments to items that were less confidently recognized did not exhibit the typical ERP correlate of recollection or familiarity, but rather showed a late, broadly distributed negative ERP difference. The results indicate that accurate source judgments of episodic context can occur even when recollection fails.

Binding neutral information to emotional contexts: Brain dynamics of long-term recognition memory

“…In the same direction, a number of studies have observed that when item-source associations can be processed together at encoding, familiarity processes are also enhanced during recognition. Thus, when item and source information are encoded in the same modality (visual) vs. different modality (visual and auditory;Tibon, Ben-Zvi, et al, 2014;Tibon, Gronau, et al, 2014;Tibon & Levy, 2014), when the nature of the association item-source is intrinsic versus extrinsic (Ecker et al, 2007a, b;Zheng et al, 2015), or when source refers to salient contextual information (Mollison & Curran, 2012), source recognition prompts larger familiarity-related ERPs, suggesting that memory for source information is strengthened (Addante et al, 2012;Chiu et al, 2013;Curran, 2004). In the present study, no explicit instructions for unitization were given; however, as commented above, we promoted item-context binding processes at encoding.…”

Fluency affects source memory for familiar names in younger and older adults: Evidence from event-related brain potentials

“…Addante, Ranganath, & Yonelinas, 2012). For instance, Peters and Daum (2009) reported a more positive FN400 for correct relative to incorrect source retrieval and for incorrect trials relative to correct rejections.…”

An Electrophysiological Dissociation between Orbitofrontal Reality Filtering and Context Source Monitoring

“…This type of source identification evoked potentials that dissociated from those evoked by an old/new test at frontal electrode sites after about 400 msec. Other typical tasks tested the ability to indicate whether a visually presented word had previously been heard from a male or female voice or what type of decision one had to make while incidentally learning words (Addante, Ranganath, & Yonelinas, 2012). Evoked potentials revealed frontal old/new effects starting after 400 msec, called FN400, whose amplitude, depending on the study, varied with accuracy or confidence about the source judgment (Addante et al, 2012;Leynes & Phillips, 2008;Vallesi & Shallice, 2006;Wilding & Rugg, 1996).…”