Effects of retrieving context information on accuracy-confidence relationships in recognition memory for faces

Abstract

We investigated how retrieval conditions affect accuracy-confidence (A-C) relationship sin recognition memory for faces. Seventy participants took a face-recognition test and rated their confidence in their judgment. Twenty-three participants were assigned to a retrieval condition, where they were encouraged to remember background information (scenery) of each picture just before rating their confidence. Twenty-four participants were assigned to a verbalizing condition, in which they were encouraged to remember and verbally describe the background of each picture before rating. Twenty-three participants were assigned to a control condition. The results showed that for the control condition, an A-C relationship was found for old items but not for new items, replicating the results of Takahashi (1998) and Wagenaar (1988). In contrast, in the retrieval condition, an A-C relationship was found for both old and new items. In the verbalizing condition, an A-C relationship was not found for either old or new items. The results showed that retrieving background information affects A-C relationships, supporting the idea that confidence ratings rely not only on memory traces but also on various kinds of information such as retrieved background scenery. Implications for eyewitness testimony were discussed.