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Abstract:
We investigated neural activity associated with conscious
recollection and habit using event-related potentials (ERPs) with
Hay and Jacoby's (1996) extension of the process-dissociation
procedure. In a training phase, participants learned A-B, A-C word
associations in which the probability of specific responses was
varied. For example, a stimulus word "knee" was paired with a
response word "bend" on 67% of occasions whereas for the other 33%
of occurrences, it was paired with the response "bone". Once a
habit was established, participants studied and were tested on a
series of short lists consisting of word pairs seen in training
(e.g., knee - bend or knee - bone). For these cued recall tests,
participants could respond by recollecting the previously presented
item and/or by relying on their habit. Jacoby's (1991)
process-dissociation equations were used to estimate the
contribution of habit and recollection to memory performance within
a single task. We found that estimates of habit reflected the
probability with which information was presented in training but
recollection estimates did not show this effect. Recollection was
associated with negativity over the parieto-occipital region which
inverted in polarity at polar sites. Indices of habit were
associated with increased positivity over the left inferior frontal
region. These findings demonstrate different modulations reflecting
recollection and habit and support the distinction between
consciously controlled and automatic influences of memory.
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