Data-driven recognition memory: a new technique and some data on age differences.

In this study, we investigate the effect on recognition memory of having target and distractor stimuli consisting of different combinations of low-level elements (letters), relative to when targets and distractors consist of combinations of the same elements (nonoverlap and overlap conditions, respectively). It was found that recognition memory was enhanced in the nonoverlap condition, even though subjects reported being unaware of this experimental manipulation. This confirms the importance of perceptually driven processing in the implicit memory component of recognition memory. The extent to which this effect occurs is found to be age dependent, with elderly subjects benefiting more from having targets and distractors consisting of nonoverlapping elements. This is consistent with the notion that elderly subjects show less reliance on item-specific/contextual detail to support recognition memory.