Retrieval-induced forgetting and mental imagery

Abstract

In the present article, we present four experiments in which we examined whether mental imagery can initiate retrieval-induced forgetting. Participants were presented with word pairs (Experiments 1, 2, and 3) or narratives (Experiment 4) and then engaged in selective mental imagery about half of the details from half of the categories. The results indicated that mental imagery can produce the same pattern of impairment as retrieval practice (Experiment 1) and postevent questioning (Experiment 4). Additionally, mental imagery-invoked, retrieval-induced forgetting was found for category cued recall (Experiments 1, 3, and 4) and cued recall (Experiment 2); it was found to dissipate across a 24-h delay, but only when there was no pre-delay test (Experiment 3). Such retrieval-induced forgetting was also found for imagining from the first-person and third-person perspectives (Experiment 4). From these findings, we suggest that the underlying retrieval processes behind mental imagery can initiate retrieval-induced forgetting. The findings are discussed in terms of inhibitory processes

A progress report on the inhibitory account of retrieval-induced forgetting

“…For example, when a subset of items are re-presented for additional study instead of retrieval practice, this extra study results in comparable strengthening of target items but typically fails to cause nonstrengthened items to be forgotten (e.g., Anderson et al 2000a;Bäuml, 2002;Ciranni & Shimamura, 1999;Saunders et al, 2009). Similarly, a variety of manipulations-including dividing attention (Ortega, Gómez-Ariza, Román, & Bajo, 2012;Román, Soriano, Gómez-Ariza, & Bajo, 2009), inducing stress (Koessler, Engler, Riether, & Kissler, 2009), inducing negative mood (Bäuml & Kuhbandner, 2007), and reexposing items between retrieval practice and the final test (Storm et al, 2008)-selectively disrupt retrieval-induced forgetting without influencing the strengthening of practiced items.…”

Toward a Science of Silence

“…Cuc et al (2007) argued that SS-RIF should emerge when listeners concurrently, albeit covertly, retrieve the same memory with the speaker. Inasmuch as RIF does not depend on whether a memory is remembered overtly or covertly (Saunders, Fernandes & Kosnes, 2009), the selective discussion and mnemonic silence attributed to the speaker should induce forgetting in both NOTICE: this is the author's version of a work that was accepted for publication in Perspectives on Psychological Science. A definitive version was subsequently published in Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7, 39-53; DOI: 10.1177/1745691611427303 22 speaker and listener.…”

Low involvement of preexisting associations makes retrieval-induced forgetting long lasting

“…Our predictions were that we would find RIF only with materials involving novel associations among items (colored shapes and unrelated sentences) since, according to our hypothesis, RIF would be longer lasting when arbitrary/novel associations were involved. The fact that the delay was introduced across groups is important because in some of the experiments showing long-lasting RIF effects the participants were tested twice: shortly after RP and later at a longer interval (Migueles and García-Bajos 2007;Saunders et al 2009;Storm et al 2006). Repeated testing may induce longlasting RIF given that in the initial test, the Rp-items would be recalled less often than the Nrp items, and therefore, Nrp items would have the additional advantage of previous retrieval (Saunders et al 2009).…”

“…Similarly, Saunders et al (2009) examined the effects of delay on RIF produced by mental imagery retrieval practice by using two testing conditions. Specifically, the RP phase and the final cued recall test were separated by 24 h in one condition (MacLeod and Macrae 2001), whereas in a second condition the cue recall test was introduced immediately after RP and again after 24 h (for similar procedures, see also Migueles and García-Bajos 2007;Storm et al 2006).…”