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Abstract:
Dorfman et al. (1995) tested recognition in electroconvulsive
therapy (ECT)-induced amnesic patients while directly manipulating
criterion. They constructed a "high-criterion" test which required
a retrieval-based judgment and a "low-criterion" test which
encouraged a familiarity-based judgment. Recognition was poor for
the "high-criterion" test, but considerably better for the
"low-criterion" test. Patients' improved performance in the
"low-criterion" condition was attributed to their enhanced reliance
on familiarity. The goals of the present study were to examine
whether criterion changes would influence recognition performance
in amnesic patients and to address whether criterion changes are
accompanied by changes in Remember or Know judgments, where these
measures provide indices of recollection and familiarity,
respectively. To this end, subjects were given intentional yes/no
recognition tests in which all subjects received a "high-criterion"
test and a "low-criterion" test utilizing the instructions of
Dorfman et al. (1995). Remember and know judgments were collected
for all endorsed items. Criterion did not influence overall
recognition performance in control subjects nor in amnesic
patients. A change from high to low criterion tended to enhance the
proportion of remember judgments in controls, but not in amnesic
patients. These results provide no evidence for Dorfman et al.'s
notion that relaxing the response criterion enhances amnesics'
recognition memory. Supported by NH57681.
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