Neurobehavioral evidence for a novel third process of episodic memory that is distinct from recollection and item familiarity

• Published in: Florida scientist Vol. 85; no. 2; pp. 59 - 60
• Main Authors: Addante, Richard J, Hashemian, Tara, Clise, Evan, Ploskus, Jessica, Bennet, Delaney
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Orlando Florida Academy of Sciences, Inc 01-01-2022
• Subjects: Cognitive ability; Confidence; Context; Event-related potentials; Familiarity; Memory; Recognition; Response time; Response time (computers); Signal processing
• ISSN: 0098-4590

BIO-P01 Neurobehavioral evidence for a novel third process of episodic memory that is distinct from recollection and item familiarity. Richard J. Addante, Tara Hashemian, Evan Clise, Jessica Ploskus, & Delaney Bennet. Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL 32901. Prior research (Addante, Ranganath, & Yonelinas, 2012) reported the unique memory condition of low confidence recognition that maintained accurate source memory (source correct), identifying electrophysiologically distinct effects from the memory process of recollection (high confident recognition with correct source memory) and referring to it as 'context-familiarity'. The purpose of the current study was to expand the prior work via exploring its behavioral measures and assess how it may differ from conditions reflecting item-familiarity (high confident recognition without correct source memory). Item memory response time was reliably slower for the 'low-confidence item recognition with source correct' condition than 'high confidence recognition with 'source unknown' judgments. Source memory responses were reliably faster for the 'low confidence recognition with source correct' condition than 'high confidence recognition with 'source unknown'. These findings suggest that there is a behavioral difference between the memory processes supporting familiarity for items and that which supports familiarity for contexts. Electrophysiologically, we found a significant negative-going ERP effect occurring later in time (800-1200ms) in central-parietal sites for the context familiarity condition which was distinguished from effects for item familiarity (FN400) and those for recollection (LPC), consistent with prior findings of this memory pattern. Results suggest that this negative-going, later-onset ERP signal reflects an independent cognitive process, termed 'context familiarity', which is differentiated from both item-familiarity and recollection processes of episodic memory. Funding: provided from the NIH LRP Award and the FIT CoPLA IDC Grant program.