The impact of disparities in collaborators’ encoding levels on collaborative memory

Utilising a two-character Chinese compound words list as task material, this study examines the effects of three combinations of deep and shallow encoding levels (operationalised via semantic and perceptual tasks, respectively) of two members within the same collaborative group on collaborative retrieval and subsequent individual memory. During the encoding phase, both the collaborative group and the nominal group conducted independent semantic or perceptual encoding. In the retrieval phase, the collaborative group engaged in collaborative retrieval and post-collaborative individual retrieval using three encoding combinations: semantic + semantic, perceptual + perceptual, and semantic + perceptual, while the nominal group continued with individual retrieval. The results indicate that the combination of differing encoding levels (semantic + perceptual) not only eliminates collaborative inhibition and reduces erroneous retrieval during collaborative retrieval but also enhances individual memory performance post-collaboration. This improvement reflects two complementary mechanisms: differentiated encoding levels reduce strategy interference, while cross-cueing facilitates reciprocal cueing between deep and shallow encoders, enabling them to leverage each other's retrieval strengths and optimise collaborative performance.