Exploring Modality Differences in Recognition Memory: Repetition Effects on Recollection and Familiarity

Research has shown that memory for visual objects tends to be superior compared to memory for auditory objects. The present study aimed to investigate the underlying mechanisms of why recognition memory tends to be better for visual information. Recognition memory relies on two processes, recollection and familiarity. Recollection involves retrieving contextual details of a memory while familiarity is simply a feeling that something has been encountered before. We investigated recollection and familiarity in the two modalities by having participants lean a list of auditory objects (e.g., dog barking) and visual objects (e.g., picture of a lion) under full attention (FA) or divided attention (DA) conditions. Specifically, during divided attention participants needed to memorize auditory or visual objects, while identifying whether an interleaved number matched the same number seen 2 numbers before. We aimed to equate visual and auditory memory by decreasing visual performance and increasing auditory performance. This was achieved by showing visual images in gray scale repeating auditory objects 2 times at study. Visual memory was equal to auditory memory in both FA and DA conditions. We also found that recollection was greater for visual than auditory objects. Dividing attention reduced both visual recollection and familiarity. Dividing attention also reduced auditory familiarity, but had no effect on auditory recollection. This suggests that attention is particularly important for the formation of visual recollection. Overall, we concluded that visual memory is superior to auditory memory.