Abstract
In an associative recognition task, distractors generally consist of a rearrangement of the items composing the study pairs. This makes it possible that processing the distractors generates retroactive interference on memory for the study pairs. In Experiment 1, we explored this possibility in ayes/no recognition test concerning previously learned arbitrary associations between visual symbols and auditory syllables. Rearranged pairs had a deleterious impact on the accuracy and the speed of responses to related correct pairs. This effect did not vary as a function of the number of training blocks, and furthermore, in Experiment 2, the same effect was observed for overlearned small multiplication facts. These results suggest that exposure to potentially confounding information generates interference even if this information is known to be incorrect. Some implications are outlined, especially with regard to the widespread use of multiple-choice tests in knowledge evaluation.
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This work was supported by a grant from the French Ministère de la Recherche (ACI Cognitique: Ecole et Sciences Cognitives), by the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS, UMR 5022 and UMR 8605), by the Université de Bourgogne, and by the Université Paris V.
Notes—This article was accepted by the previous editorial team, when Colin M. MacLeod was Editor.
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Perruchet, P., Rey, A., Hivert, E. et al. Do distractors interfere with memory for study pairs in associative recognition?. Memory & Cognition 34, 1046–1054 (2006). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03193251
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03193251