Autobiographical memory and perceptual learning: A developmental study using picture recognition, naming latency, and perceptual identification

Abstract

In this paper, we report four experiments aimed at extending the distinction between recognition memory and perceptual memory introduced by Jacoby and Dallas (1981). In Experiment 1, we show that dissociation of the two types of memory can be demonstrated with pictures as stimuli and with naming latency and recognition scores as responses. The depth-of-processing manipulation affects recognition but not naming, whereas both are influenced by prior exposure. Experiment 2 is a replication of the naming procedure, with a smaller set of stimuli and instructions emphasizing speed. Experiments 3 and 4 extend the paradigm to include children from 5 to 10 years old. Experiment 3 demonstrates the usual effect of depth of processing on recognition, but, in contrast to the adult data of Experiment 1, there is an analogous effect upon subsequent naming latencies. Examination of the data suggests this may be a spurious result. If not, it means either that the two memory types are not independent in children or that the "deep" subjects were implicitly naming during encoding. In Experiment 4, we test perceptual memory directly, replacing naming latency with tachistoscopic recognition. This results only in an effect of prior exposure, and not depth of processing. The results support the idea that perceptual memory is distinguishable from recognition memory, and that it is developmentally stable. © 1985 Psychonomic Society, Inc.