Reduced false memory effects for predictable words in L2 speakers of German: evidence from self-paced reading and recognition memory

Abstract Previous research has demonstrated that predictable words that are not presented linger in memory and lead to false recognition in subsequent memory tests. However, little is known about these effects among second language learners, a population that is known for engaging less in prediction. Here, we used a self-paced reading and word recognition memory test to examine encoding differences and subsequent memory effects in groups of L1 and L2 speakers of German. For initial reading, results showed no group differences in the size of the predictability effect, possibly because group differences in attention allocation during reading masked predictability effects. For recognition memory, L2 learners showed reduced rates of false remembering for predictable words (after correcting for response bias), and they were also less likely to false-alarm to predictable words with high subjective memory confidence, similar to L1 speakers. In addition, L2 learners showed reduced recognition memory for previously presented words. Taken together, these results are consistent with models arguing that lexical-semantic entries are less firmly represented in the L2 lexicon, which in turn lowers pre-activation of predictable referents during L2 sentence processing and leads to the formation of less distinct memory representations for previously encoded information.